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A woman has been hit with a £300 fine after leaving her late husband's clothes beside a charity donation bin. Sophie Scott took the items to the Salvation Army collection point in Asda car park in Kings Hill, Kent on Monday, 20th October. Upon arrival, the bins were "completely full", so she placed the two bin liners of clothing on the ground "neatly" next to numerous other bags. However, after returning to her vehicle, the mum of two says she was confronted by a warden who questioned whether she had left the bags by the donation bin. She told him: "Yes, they are for charity, I've been donating." Sophie says the warden listed a series of dos and don'ts and informed her he was going to fine her for fly-tipping, costing £300. A spokesperson for Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council said they understood the incident took place at a "difficult time" for Mrs Scott, but confirmed the notice had been issued according to its "standard policy". Meanwhile, the firm representing the enforcement officer responsible for issuing the fine said it welcomed dialogue with individuals to provide "additional context". Sophie maintains she hadn't noticed any signs and "would never fly-tip", reports Bristol Live . The 51 year old said: "I was very distressed because I'm about to have the funeral for my husband, who passed away very recently, so it's been an incredibly difficult time, and it remains difficult. I was visibly very, very upset and told him that my mind was elsewhere. "He did absolutely nothing and said he was filming me and that I needed to take it up with the council. It was very distressing, I simply can't afford a £300 fine, I have one income now. It's just awful behaviour, I certainly wasn't fly-tipping, I was donating to charity, as was everybody else who left bags." Sophie, who tragically lost her husband Simon Scott to an aggressive form of cancer in September at the age of 55, told the warden about her grief-stricken state when he fined her. Despite explaining her situation, she said the warden was "very unsympathetic" and began filming her immediately, making her feel "harassed". "He made me feel like a criminal – and I'm certainly not a criminal," she added. After the ordeal, Sophie contacted the council, who she says were sympathetic and offered to freeze the fine whilst they investigate. It is understood that Kingdom, a third-party company, is hired by the council to enforce parking and fly-tipping fines. Sophie, a business owner, took to Facebook to share her experience and says hundreds of people came forward saying similar things had happened to them. She said: "It's really despicable what they are doing, they are blatantly trying to get money out of people and it's often women who might feel a bit more vulnerable. I want the fine to be ripped up and to have an apology." She continued: "I hope it doesn't deter people from giving to charity, but I hope this can be made an example for everybody else and the council finally wake up and see what's actually happening here." A council representative stated they were in discussions with Sophie about the penalty. "The fixed penalty notice was issued in line with our standard policy and the signs displayed at the recycling site" a spokesperson explained. "However, if Mrs Scott feels there are mitigating circumstances she would like Kingdom to consider in her defence, we would encourage her to get in touch with Kingdom." A representative from the Salvation Army Trading Company Ltd (SATCoL), the charity's commercial division, expressed regret that someone attempting to donate was penalised, clarifying that only local authorities issue fines, not the charity itself. They continued: "Receiving a fine for trying to help a charity is upsetting and frustrating and we do everything we can to avoid that by emptying our banks regularly, often daily. The Kings Hill site is busy and is visited regularly. We don't want to put people off donating to us as we use the funds generated from selling clothing items to fund our vital work like providing hot meals for rough sleepers or nappies and baby milk for a desperate family. "However, if a bank looks like it is full, we ask that people try and save donations for another day." The charity explained that clothes are often damaged when left beside a donation bank, and because items abandoned on the street or by a bank are considered fly-tipping, the charity frequently faces costs "which can run to thousands of pounds". A Kingdom LAS spokesperson said it encourages enforcement officers to consider "all available evidence at the time of assessment". They said: "Our enforcement process includes a representation process, during which the case can be fully reviewed. This allows for any further or supporting evidence to be taken into account before a final decision is made." The spokesperson explained officers wear body-worn cameras as standard practice to obtain a "true record" of what is said by both the public and its officers, as well as to respond to any complaints accurately. Kingdom LAS added: "We are committed to ensuring that every case is handled fairly and with full consideration of the circumstances. Our approach is designed to be both thorough and proportionate, and we welcome dialogue with individuals who wish to provide additional context."
