By Andrew Forgrave,Hannah Ahmed

Copyright birminghammail

A mum has shared the moment she was contacted by the council for throwing an envelope in a public bin. Natasha Sheldon Lane, 35, picked up a small parcel from her local Aldi collection locker, eagerly unwrapping it and placing the plastic covering in a bin. This action, which many may have done themselves, resulted in Natasha being asked to attend an “interview under caution” after the council discovered the wrapping on Duke Street in Flint and sent her a letter. Flintshire Council’s environmental enforcement team accused the mother of the “unlawful depositing of waste” under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. READ MORE: PETA launches huge billboard outside KFC near Birmingham Natasha was then requested to attend an interview with the environmental crime officer at the council’s Alltami depot, with officials stating she could bring a solicitor with her at her own cost, NorthWalesLive reported. As Natasha could not get to the depot due to her being a full-time carer for her youngest child, who has additional needs, the officer then instead had to visit her home on October 2. She said: “I spoke to the officer this morning (October 2). “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 realised 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.” 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. She continued: “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.” At the time, Flintshire Council said it was “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.” READ MORE: Police cleared of blame over Christmas double teen death crash tragedy The council has since dropped the fine threat after a council crime officer visited her Flint home in what was described as a “courtesy call”. “My partner was very suspicious,” said Natasha, a full-time carer for her youngest child, who has additional needs, “He thought the whole thing was so ridiculous, he was worried it was some kind of scam. It’s quite worrying to have someone claiming to be from the council coming into your home. “The officer told us he was dropping the charges as the whole thing had ‘snowballed’ – which we took to mean the council didn’t want the bad publicity it was generating. “He apologised for the inconvenience caused and gave us a pathetic excuse for the reasons the action was taken.” During yesterday’s at-home interview, Natasha was given official advice on how to avoid being compromised by an address label. “The officer told me that if ever I do it again, I should turn the plastic envelope inside out and then tie it in a knot. That way it won’t be checked!” Katie Wilby, Flintshire Council’s chief officer for Streetscene and Transportation, said: “The council takes all reports of alleged fly-tipping seriously and whenever we receive a complaint or report on fly-tipping, we will investigate who is responsible. When evidence is found, we take appropriate enforcement action against the offender.” Natasha said the online reaction since her case was publicised was a “bit wild”, with others sharing similar stories. “I’m still angry about what happened,” she said. “But I’m happy the publicity has done its job and that people are now a bit more aware of the pitfalls. “I’ve also learned my lesson: next time I pick up a parcel, I’ll make sure I tear up the address label before putting the envelope in a bin.” 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.”