Lee Reynolds, a resident of New Milton, Hampshire, was issued a £1,000 fine for fly-tipping after leaving a cardboard box on the ground next to overflowing recycling bins at a Tesco store. The penalty was later reduced to £150, but Reynolds has vowed to continue his fight against the council.
Incident at Tesco Recycling Bins
On June 3, 2026, Reynolds received a penalty notice from New Forest District Council (NFDC) for “illegally depositing waste.” He described feeling “physically sick” upon receiving the fine. The incident occurred when all four recycling bins at the Tesco location in New Milton were overflowing with rubbish, leaving him no choice but to place the cardboard on the floor.
Reynolds argued that the sign warning against leaving waste was obscured by the large volume of rubbish already piled up. Photographs taken at the time of the alleged offence show the bins full to overflowing, supporting his claim.
Appeal and Reduced Fine
Reynolds appealed the notice, but NFDC rejected his argument that the signage was not visible. Instead, the council reclassified the offence from fly-tipping to a “failure to control household waste,” which carries a £300 fine. This was reduced to £150 if paid by July 3. Reynolds paid the reduced fine under protest, stating, “With the deadline looming I felt I had no choice but to pay the £150, so reluctantly that’s what I did. It was really weighing on my mind – as a law-abiding citizen the whole situation was causing me a lot of anguish. I was basically told that the matter was closed and there will be no more discussion. If I didn’t pay the fine, I was facing prosecution.”
Ongoing Complaint
Despite paying the fine, Reynolds is not backing down. He has escalated the matter to NFDC’s complaints process and, if unsuccessful, plans to lodge a complaint with the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman. He said, “The level of waste piled up is a fire hazard. There is just rubbish everywhere and the whole area is a mess. It seems extremely unfair that the council fails to keep the area tidy and I’m the one that ends up with a fine.”
Reynolds also noted that he did not see any visible instructions or signage warning against leaving recycling adjacent to full containers, as any existing signage was obscured by the waste.
Council Response
A spokesperson for NFDC declined to comment on the individual case but stated, “While we recognise that many residents are keen to recycle and dispose of their waste responsibly, placing waste next to full containers at the community recycling sites is fly-tipping. Fly-tipping and failure to control household waste is an offence, and not only unsightly but causes environmental hazards. It can also lead to additional costs for the council, for example, where waste becomes contaminated and cannot be recycled.”
The spokesperson added that the council has seen an increase in fly-tipping at that location and has been working to address it through education and awareness. The site was remodelled and additional signage was installed on May 20, 2026, prior to Reynolds’ incident.
