By Andrew Forgrave

Copyright dailypost

A mum is facing fly-tipping charges after retrieving a small parcel from an Aldi collection locker. Natasha Sheldon Lane, 35, has been asked to attend an “interview under caution” after the parcel’s plastic envelope was found in a public waste bin.

Keen to check the correct order had been sent, she unwrapped the parcel and tossed its non-recyclable wrapper into a black bin on Duke Street, Flint. She thought little more about it until receiving a letter in the post from Flintshire Council’s environmental enforcement team.

This accused her of the “unlawful depositing of waste” under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. Summoned to an interview with an environmental crime officer at the council’s Alltami depot. Natasha was advised she could bring a solicitor at her own cost.

As she’s a mum of two who’s a full-time carer for her youngest child, aged 13, who has additional needs, she can’t get to the depot. Instead, a crime officer will visit her home today.

“I spoke to the officer this morning,” she said. “He told me I could be facing fly-tipping charges with a £300 fine. He said he also has discretion to impose a £75 littering fine instead. If I could afford a solicitor, I would be fighting this all the way.”

Natasha realises she made three crucial mistakes: not ripping up the plastic envelope, to conceal her address; admitting to officers she had placed the envelope in the bin; and not realising a flimsy piece of plastic could land her in so much trouble.

“I’d have been better off throwing it on the floor,” she said. “My only crime was being honest and law-abiding – placing the envelope in the bin and then admitting I’d done so.”

Natasha added: “What’s happened is completely ridiculous. It’s causing unnecessary stress to someone who only tried to do the right thing.

“What’s worrying is that council staff are rifling through public bins in the hope of catching someone out. How much is this costing? The council is always complaining it has no money yet it can afford to do this.”

‘Council staff rifling through bins’

According to Natasha, she was told she was being held responsible for the entire contents of the black bin as her item was the only litter found inside with an address label. “The officer told me I was the fourth person to be investigated for this offence this week,” she said.

Natasha spoke out in the hope of warning others to the pitfalls of litter disposal. Although her plastic wrapper was marked as non-recyclable for household bins, she has since discovered it could have been voluntarily deposited in “soft plastics” recycling containers in supermarkets and Co-op stores. So can items like crisp packets and bread bags that also can’t be recycled in household bins.

“It’s really sad that people are being targeted who are only trying to do the right thing,” she said. I understand there are some items that shouldn’t be put in a public bin, like diabetic boxes containing used needles that should be returned to a chemist.

“But a non-recyclable plastic parcel wrapper? Where’s the common sense in that? The most annoying thing is that I live nearby and I can see this bin from my house. Every day I see older people sitting down nearby to read their letters – will they be targeted too?”

When Natasha shared her experiences online, it caused outrage. The anger was fuelled by fast-rising council taxes, reduced litter collections and a fly-tipping epidemic that left some back streets choked with discarded furniture and household items.

She added: “I will probably have to accept the £75 littering fine as I can’t afford a fly-tipping charge. In this day and age, who can afford these kinds of spurious fines? It will have to come out of my carer’s allowance.

“I worry that some people will have to go without eating just to pay off these fines.

“It may be too late for me to do anything about it. But I hope that by highlighting what has happened to me, it will help stop others falling into the same trap.”

The council’s position

Flintshire Council said it was “currently investigating this matter”. Katie Wilby, chief officer for Streetscene and Transportation, added: “As it is an active investigation, it is not appropriate to comment further at this stage.”

On its website, Flintshire Council states that, under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, it is an offence to dispose of household or business waste in public litter bins.

It adds: “Public litter bins are provided only for waste produced when you’re out and about, and bagged dog waste.

“They should not be used for disposing of domestic or business waste. In town centres, these bins are emptied 2 to 3 times per day, and regularly in other areas.

“It is also a fly-tipping offence to leave any type of waste, including domestic and business waste, near a litter bin (e.g. black bin bag or shopping bag).

“If your waste is found to be dumped illegally, whether you know about it or not, you can be fined up to £5,000.” Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox

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