Single mum slapped with £1k fine for 'fly-tipping' envelope when bin was full

A single mum faces being plunged into debt after a council fined her £1,000 for leaving an envelope next to an overflowing bin. Loretta Alvarez, 26, shares bins with 25 other properties in Feltham, West London. After placing a cardboard envelope next to the bins, on top of other cardboard, she received a letter through the post. Hounslow Council threatened Ms Alvarez with legal proceedings if she did not pay the staggering fine of £1,000 for "fly-tipping".

"I'm a single mum working as a mental health nurse. I pay all my rent, council tax and bills, I can't afford to pay that. I would never intentionally do that," the 26-year-old said. "It's been so stressful, I didn't want this to happen, I wouldn't want it to happen to someone else. I've been trying to juggle this alongside work, being a mum, it's been hard."

The West London council gave Ms Alvarez a deadline of November 5 to make the four-figure payment in full, or else she would face legal proceedings where she could be criminally charged.

However, due to not having the money, the single mother did not pay the fine on Wednesday. She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that she is worried that this could affect her future employment and DBS checks.

"I don't have that money to give, and I can't afford getting into debt to pay it, and I don't want to get a mark on my record," she said. "I'm a mental health nurse, I went to university for three years... they're fining me more than someone gets for speeding."

She added: "If all of that [including the stack of cardboard] was mine, would I really go to the press about it?"

According to the LDRS, Hounslow Council has paused the fine while it is investigated further. Although it is put on hold, it hasn't been cancelled.

Councillor Pritam Grewal, Cabinet Member for Community Safety, Customer Experience and Enforcement, said in a statement: "We remain committed to taking a zero-tolerance approach to littering and protecting the local environment.

"We are clear that we have done the right thing in dealing with this, and issuing the fine, because littering includes leaving waste anywhere in public apart from in a bin, regardless of whether bins are full. While we accept that no one likes receiving a fine, residents expect us to tackle the offence and the offenders.

"As well as making our streets look neglected, it is not fair that Hounslow Council's taxpayers have to foot the bill for littering and fly-tipping. Such costs could be spent on delivering vital services for our residents."