Single Mother and Nurse Faces Hefty Fine for Discarded Envelope
A 26-year-old single mother from Feltham, London, has been handed a £1,000 fine for what the council has labelled as fly-tipping, after she left a cardboard envelope next to overflowing communal bins. Loretta Alvarez, who works as a mental health nurse, says the punishment is disproportionate and that she cannot afford to pay the substantial penalty.
The Incident and the Council's Zero-Tolerance Stance
The incident occurred at the shared bin area for her residence, which she estimates is used by around 25 other properties. Loretta explained that the bins were completely full, so she placed the small cardboard envelope on top of a stack of other cardboard that had been left beside them. Despite this, Hounslow Council issued the fine, stating they operate a zero-tolerance approach to littering.
Councillor Pritam Grewal, Cabinet Member for Community Safety, Customer Experience and Enforcement, defended the council's action. "We remain committed to taking a zero-tolerance approach to littering and protecting the local environment," he said. "We are clear that we have done the right thing... because littering includes leaving waste anywhere in public apart from in a bin, regardless of whether bins are full."
Financial Strain and Threat of Legal Action
Loretta was given a deadline of Wednesday, November 5, to pay the fine in full or face legal proceedings. She expressed deep concern about the potential consequences, stating that criminal charges could impact her future employment and DBS checks, which are crucial for her career in nursing.
"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," Loretta said. "I would never intentionally do that. It's been so stressful... I've been trying to juggle this alongside work, being a mum, it's been hard."
She also highlighted the perceived injustice of the fine's size, noting it is more than someone gets for speeding. Despite requesting to set up a payment plan to manage the cost, she says the council refused her offer.
Loretta believes the council should focus on providing better waste management, as the communal bins are only collected once a week and frequently become overfull. "I've seen people dumping cabinets – that's fly tipping," she argued, "this isn't."
