Mother is fined £1,000 for ‘fly-tipping’ after leaving bag of kids’s garments subsequent to full donation level

A mother has been fined £1,000 for ‘fly-tipping’ after she left a bag of children’s clothes next to a full collection point.

Kate Clayton, 57, was ‘floored’ when she was stopped by council workers and handed the penalty, mere seconds after dropping off her generous donations.

The teacher from West Malling, Kent, had three bags of children’s clothes to donate to The Salvation Army and Asda‘s breast cancer charity Tickled Pink on January 26.

She managed to fit two of the bags in the very full donation bins but had to leave the third on the floor nearby.

After Ms Clayton was stopped, she offered to take the bag back home with her but the officers wouldn’t back down.

She was handed the fine and told it had to be paid within the fortnight. Ms Clayton then took the left behind bag of clothes back home with her anyway.

‘I drove literally 20ft before a council person approached me. I just thought he was going to ask me directions or something,’ she said.

Kate Clayton (pictured) was left ‘floored’ when she was handed a £1,000 fine for ‘fly-tipping’ for leaving a bag of clothes next to a full collection point 

Pictured: The two collection bins for The Salvation Army and Asda’s breast cancer charity Tickled Pink which Ms Clayton used 

‘I was absolutely floored when he said £1,000. I just couldn’t believe it. It wasn’t fly tipping, I was donating to charity.’

The mother-of-four added that she ‘I didn’t really feel like I had committed a crime’ and that the whole situation was ‘really unfair’. 

She then appealed the fine when she got home through Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council (TMBC) and Kingdom Local Authority Support.

She then waited 29 days with no reply but finally, this week Ms Clayton received an email informing her the fine had been cancelled.

She said : ‘I am just really glad that they took the fine away. I was so happy. I had been so stressed and upset. I am quite level-headed but it was awful. It is quite threatening. I thought I was going to have to go to court.

‘I didn’t have £1,000. I couldn’t afford it. When it is actual fly tipping on the side of the road the people who do it don’t get caught.

Ms Clayton added that she felt the practices of the council are ‘ruthless and a bit aggressive.’

A spokesperson for Kingdom Local Authority Support said: ‘While Kingdom Local Authority Support does not comment on individual cases, where concerns are raised, we review each matter based on the information available.

‘However, we can confirm that in this instance Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council has decided to rescind the Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN).

‘Kingdom LAS are content the relevant enforcement processes were followed, in line with agreed policies with Tonbridge and Malling borough council, when the FPN was issued.

‘In accordance with national legislation, leaving items outside charity donation banks is classed as fly-tipping. Such items are not collected or removed by the charities operating the banks and can lead to obstruction, environmental issues, and additional costs for local authorities and the taxpayer.

‘Fly-tipping remains a serious issue for communities across the country, and our officers are committed to helping ensure clean and well-maintained public spaces for everyone.’

A spokesperson for Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council added: ‘We have reviewed this case and can confirm that the fine has been rescinded.

‘We apologise to the resident for the inconvenience and any concern this may have caused. We have instructed Kingdom to cease any further enforcement action in such instances.’