Man who put bins out early fined £1,000 by 'Stasi-like' council

The Labour-run council accused the lead engineer at a technology company of fly-tipping and issued him with an environmental enforcement notice upon his return a week later.

The fixed penalty notice offered an early payment option of £500 but stated there was "no formal right to appeal" the fine.

The notice stated: "There was one large box, six bags of waste, and one food bin deposited on the pavement and left. It isn't collection day so it shouldn't be there."

Strachan said he had deliberately placed the rubbish "out of the way on the pavement, tucked to one side against the wall so they weren't in anyone's way."

Explaining his reasoning, he said: "I said I had put the bins out early as I was not available the next day. It was an honest mistake."

The council's website specifies that bins should be put out "before 6am on your normal collection day, or after 9pm on the evening before."

• Zia Yusuf to RETURN to Reform with new role just 48 hours after resigning as party chairman
• One of Britain's most iconic accents is 'dying' with migration partly to 'blame': 'Loss of identity'
• Never-before-seen Diana dress unveiled after princess picked ‘more daring’ gown

The page warns that "putting your bins out on the wrong day or in the wrong way could result in action against you for dumping rubbish."

Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick condemned the council's actions, telling The Telegraph: "This huge fine for putting the bins out a few hours early veers into Stasi-like control of people's lives.

"This man was clearly doing the right thing in the circumstances."

He added: "Instead of cracking down on genuine anti-social behaviour, the state tries to reassert itself by punishing well-meaning people for tiny infringements.

"It's the easy thing to do but it's counter-productive and unfair."

Strachan described the penalty as "excessive, completely shocking and quite unbelievably unfair."

"It feels like an abuse of their powers," he said, noting that he regularly picks up litter on the street and cleans up when foxes ransack bins.

He characterised the fine as "bullying and coercion" for what he considered a "minor infringement".

William Yarwood of the TaxPayers' Alliance called the fine "completely disproportionate" for what was "a clear case of an honest mistake, not fly-tipping".

"Residents expect fair treatment, not to be targeted for trying to do the right thing," he said.

"Councils should focus on real issues, not hammering taxpayers with excessive fines for trivial matters."

Councillor Jose Afonso, leader of the Tories at the council, said enforcement officers should be "working with the police to keep our streets safe - not trying to catch residents out on technicalities."

He described the "contemptuous and high-handed approach" as "the hallmark" of the Labour council.

"We thought we were getting a law enforcement team, but it appears we've ended up with a council revenue collection team," he said.

The council withdrew the fine within two hours of The Telegraph contacting them, issuing a statement saying Strachan was "not a persistent fly-tipper".

A council spokesman said Strachan had requested a review on 28 May, explaining he had put the rubbish out early due to his holiday plans.

"We have since cancelled the FPN as we agree that Strachan made an honest mistake," the spokesman added.

The council's enforcement team, established in 2021, comprises 72 officers who patrol "day and night, seven days a week" at an annual cost of £2.1million to taxpayers.

The team issued 2,270 fines in 2024, according to the council website, which describes them as the council's "eyes and ears".

In 2024, the council increased fly-tipping fines from £200 to £1,000 to "act as a deterrent".