Fines dropped for pair leaving charity bags outside

Two women who were fined after donating to charity have had their fixed penalty notices dropped.

Barbara Wheeler said she received a letter from a council threatening legal action and a fine of up to £1,000 after leaving a bag of clothes outside her home in Tonbridge, Kent, for a charity to collect.

Wheeler said her 84-year-old neighbour Margaret was also sent a letter from the local authority ordering her to pay a fixed penalty notice of £300 within 14 days as "depositing litter is a criminal offence".

But now Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council said the fines had been rescinded because it was "clear that these kerbside charity collections should not have resulted in action".

Council leader Matt Boughton, who apologised, added: "We are urgently reviewing the circumstances to ensure this does not happen again and will continue to work with the residents."

On Wednesday, Wheeler said: "I had one of the councillors turn up, they'd had a meeting this morning and said it's all been thrown out and you should never have been fined in the first place."

She confirmed Margaret's fine had also been cancelled.

Wheeler said a council enforcement officer had come to Margaret's house after the clothes were put outside on 29 January and accused her of obstructing the pavement.

Wheeler said the officer frightened her neighbour by saying he had a camera and that everything she said could be used as evidence in court.

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