Woman gets £400 fly-tip fine for sofa outside home

A woman has been handed a £400 fly-tipping fine after leaving her old sofa at the front of her own house while she arranged for it to be collected.

Jessica Stratton, from Basford in Nottingham, had just had a new sofa delivered by a charity and said she had asked in advance if the driver could take away her old one.

However, when he arrived she said the driver told her he could not take it due to a rip, so she left it in the street as she tried to arrange for another charity to take it.

The following morning she said a council enforcement officer knocked on her door, read out her rights and issued the fine. Nottingham City Council said it did not comment on individual cases.

The 42-year-old told the Local Democracy Reporting Service she had been left with the choice of paying it in full or going to court.

"I think it's outrageous," she said. "They've penalised me and made an example of me. I was getting rid of it that day, and there's absolutely no room to leave it in here. It's ridiculous.

"I haven't intentionally committed a crime of fly-tipping. I haven't dumped anything. If I were going to fly-tip, I wouldn't do it outside my front door and risk incriminating myself. It doesn't make any sense to me."

Stratton, who had just moved to the area from London, said after being told the driver could not take her old sofa on 10 March, she decided to leave it in front of her property as it would not fit through her back door and she needed to keep the hallway clear for a washing machine and cooker delivery.

The officer arrived at about 10:00 GMT the following morning, stuck a yellow sticker on the furniture and advised her she could appeal if she felt the fine was unfair.

She said he also told her to leave the sofa where it was as the council would pick it up.

A week later, she received a letter telling her she had "admitted the offence" - which she refutes - and the sofa remains on the street.

Stratton now said she planned to refer the matter to her local MP if the situation was not resolved.

"It's bang out of order and so unfair. They're going after people. I'm trying my best. I didn't even get a chance to report it to get it removed," she said.

"I didn't even know I was doing anything wrong. I think it's terrible. I don't have £400 so I'm not paying it."

Nottingham City Council said it did not comment on individual cases but explained fixed penalty notices were issued when there was evidence of an offence having taken place.

It said individuals were given information on how to appeal or challenge a notice if they believe it had been issued incorrectly.

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