Man is fined £400 for fly-tipping after he left bag of unwanted jackets next to full charity clothes bank
- Matthew Webb given fixed penalty notice after leaving bag of clothes for charity
- CCTV clearly shows the dad of two leaving the bag of jackets near donation bin
- Mr Webb, 38, says incident has made him ‘rethink’ making donations in future
A man was fined £400 for fly-tipping after dropping off a bag of unwanted clothes next to a charity donation bin.
Matthew Webb, 38, received the fixed penalty notice for placing the bag of jackets and warm coats in front of the full bank.
CCTV showed the dad-of-two clearly leaving the bag of clothes beside the Dartford council charity bin in Kent on February 28.
Mr Webb, a leisure centre manager, said: ‘I drove to the clothes bank to drop off a bag of clothes to donate to the registered charity.
Mr Webb received the £400 fixed penalty notice for leaving a bag of donations near the charity collection bank
‘The bank was full and therefore I placed the bag of clothes at the front, purely safe and visible for the charity collectors to come and collect.
‘On Saturday I received a letter from Dartford Borough Council, issuing me a £400 Fixed Penalty Notice charge and an image of me for fly-tipping.
‘I was distraught as I have always donated old clothes to charity, and I have never fly-tipped in my life and never will.
‘Not to mention the bag was visible and safely placed right in front of the bin and not on a lay by like most fly-tippers.’
Despite contacting the council over the phone, the authority insisted he lodge a written challenge to the fine.
The episode has made Mr Webb rethink making donations in the future.
He added: ‘It was a mixture of various jackets that were just too big for me.
‘I got them from a local freecycling social network group and thought they could go to a good cause.
CCTV showed him leaving the items next to the bank for clothes and shoes but he still faces a fine
‘It was great that the donation bank was full up, but it didn’t seem like a problem to leave it by the side.
‘I tried calling the council on Monday and they said that any dispute has to be in writing. I’m now expected to wait seven days.
‘I understand fully that they need to prosecute people who tip beds, fridge freezers, paint pots etc, but surely not actual items that charities would appreciate immensely?
‘It is not fair that the council can treat people like this.’
Dartford Borough Council has been contacted for comment.
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