I was fined £500 and threatened with jail for putting rubbish bags next to my full wheelie bin: Furious homeowner reveals he was dragged to a 'formal interview' by council over waste he left next to his gate

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A man who put a few bins bags next to his packed wheelie bin has criticised the ‘ridiculous’ £500 fine he was slapped with.

Ben Riley put the four black bins bags out, thinking it would be fine as he had done the same before while living in another part of the country.

But he was shocked to be dragged into a ‘formal interview’ before being issued with a fixed penalty notice by Ipswich Borough Council in Suffolk – and faced jail if he refused to pay.

He appealed but has now been told that had been rejected.

Have YOU been fined over your rubbish? Email [email protected]

Ben Riley was dragged to a ‘formal interview’ and slapped with a £500 fine by Ipswich Borough Council in Suffolk for putting rubbish bags next to his already packed wheelie bin

He put the four black bins bags out, thinking it would be fine as he had done the same before while living in another part of the country

‘It is ridiculous how extreme it is. I have been threatened with five years in prison or an unlimited fine if this goes to court,’ he said.

‘Another man dumped a chest of drawers and got fined £200. I just put a few plastic bags next to my wheelie bin outside my garden gate and am fined £500.’

Mr Riley, who also mixed up collection dates which meant he put the wrong bin out six days early, added: ‘My wheelie bin was full. I’ve only recently moved to Ipswich from Essex. I lived there 28 years of my life and the council never moaned about a bag next to a wheelie bin before but here it’s a big deal.

‘Back home, you could happily put rubbish bags next to your bin and they would be taken by the binmen. I have never been issued with a fine or anything in the 28 years I lived there.

‘I also got mixed up with which bin was being collected that week, so it was six days before bin collections.

‘It’s not like I’ve dumped a mattress or a television set in the middle of the road. It’s next to my back gate.

‘£500 for a first offence is a bit extreme. I have just put general waste next to my wheelie bin because it was too full.’

Mr Riley, who only recently moved to Ipswich, mixed up collection dates which meant he put the wrong bin out six days early

The fixed penalty notice was issued on February 13 and Mr Riley’s appeal was turned down nine days later.

John Cook, the borough councillor responsible for communities and sport, warned the bags had posed a risk to public health and insisted there would be no backing down.

‘Waste left on the street can cause public health issues and encourage anti-social behaviour,’ he said.

‘In this case, bags of waste were put out on the street on January 3 and the next black bag bin collection day was January 9, so the waste would have remained on the road for at least six days.

‘Under formal interview, the resident admitted to the offence and a fixed penalty notice was issued at an amount of £500.

‘Due to the appeal, we have extended the early payment period within which the amount is reduced to £250.

‘The other case referred to [involving the chest of drawers] was a fine given by the courts, not a fixed penalty notice. This case was for a offence in May last year.

‘The courts determined a fine of £200, plus £200 costs were awarded and an £80 victim surcharge, resulting in a total charge of £480.’

Have YOU been fined over your rubbish? Email [email protected]

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