NOT FINE Mum Issued a Fine of £400 by Local Authority for ‘fly-tipping’ Grass Trimmings on the Overgrown Grass Verge Full of Nettles

Melissa Hayes, the mum, says she will have big problems to pay the fine she was issued by South Tyneside Council

A MUM has to pay the penalty of £400 for ‘fly-tipping’ grass trimmings on a field.

Melissa, who is 30 years old, stated that she will have a hard time to pay the fine from the local council.

She was caught while illegally dumping garden waste from a single black sack and was issued a fine.

Melissa, employed in the local call centre, who is living with her mum in South Shields, stated:”The location where I dispose of the waste is a big field full of nettles. The local council ignores it, and it’s simply left to grow.”

“I was not dumping a settee or something alike, and I also took the bag back home with me.”

“I am devastated as I believe the £400 fine is too much and I don’t have the idea how will I pay the fine.”

“I realise now that I broke the law, I am truly sorry and definitely won’t happen again, but the fine is far too high.”

Local council stated that she was identified after the tip-off about her vehicle registration plate at the scene in Cleadon Hills, South Tyneside.

The council believed the fine would act as a deterrent.

Melissa said that she chose to dump the waste as a result of lengthy queues at the council-run tip.

Only 24h later, Melissa got a letter from the local council with a fine of £400.

She continued:”At that time I did not see anything wrong in what I was doing.”

“I have been working around my garden and cutting the grass to keep it tidy, and I thought that all I was doing is putting natural waste into the nature.”

“In past, I went to the council’s tip few times and had to queue, so it just crossed my mind why don’t I just put it in all the high nettles?”

A spokesperson of local council said:”Crimes like this are managed by issuing a Fixed Fine Notices or prosecution through the courts, which can lead to a conviction and eventually to penalties of as high as 50,000 and six months of prison time.

“Not only fly-tipping is illegal activity, but it also forces the council to spend significant budget resources to deal with it.”