London Borough sees a way of making some easy green

Havering Council has become the latest local authority to hit the headlines after slapping a nonsense fine on one of its residents, as the Daily Mail reports:

A businessman was stunned when he was hit with a £100 fine for fly-tipping - when he left flowers in parking space for a work colleague.

Within moments of unloading the plants, a council warden pounced on Mr Mayes, cautioned him 'like a policeman' and slapped a £100 fine on him for fly-tipping.

Mr Mayes wrote to Havering Council to explain what had happened but his pleas fell on deaf ears. [Their only response was] a hand delivered letter from the council said they had sufficient evidence to prosecute him and he could be fined £2,000 and ordered to pay magistrates court costs.

Mr Mayes response to the intimidating Council letter was to pay up so that the matter did not hang over his head – as so many sadly often do. However this has led the bullying council to claim “Mr Mayes admitted to littering when he paid the fine”.

Mr Mayes story is a perfect example of how our power-hungry society has become one ruled by bureaucratisation and rationalisation. How a council warden can think a few plants could represent flytipping is quite ridiculous and shows how the state is obsessed by the tiny details instead of seeing the bigger picture.

It’s time councils starting sorting out the necessary problems which surround us instead of making such a fuss over trivial matters. Remember: if you have been hit with a fine for something stupid like this, please get in touch. We are keen to help fight people subjected to ridiculous council fines.

By Rory Fitzherbert

Comments

[Neil]

Well i certainly hope he will contest it with a court hearing. I am confident the magistrates would find this a ludicrous as everybody else does.

[Biffo]

Unfortunately, as he's now paid the fine, it won't go to court will it? Perhaps the name of the council warden could be publicised so that his friends and neighbours are warned what a useless jobsworth he is and that he's not to be trusted?

[Jane]

Having worked in the local Council in the department that deals with these things, you see a totally different side to it, I would like to know more about what actually happens .. leaving flowers in a parking space, doesn't that sound a little strange? I have heard every excuse in the book for blatant flytipping and not saying that this is one, but the problem is really bad and the pressure in these departments and the abuse that you get is unbelievable.