Woman fined over take-for-free cabinet left outside her home

Isabelle Pepin was surprised to receive the fine

A woman has been handed a £500 fine for fly-tipping after leaving a cabinet for free collection outside her home.

Isabelle Pepin, from Southbourne in Bournemouth, said she left the piece of furniture out as it "still had some life left in it".

An enforcement officer issued the fine to Ms Pepin on her doorstep after warning her to move the cabinet off the street three weeks earlier.

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council (BCP) said: "Action on fly-tipping is taken to ensure communities can fully enjoy where they live and have pride in their neighbourhood."

Ms Pepin, who works as an artist, said residents in the area often left useable furniture out for a few days to see if it would be of use to someone else in the community.

She said: "I have been living here for 12 years and I been doing this for 12 years and I've never had any complaints or indication that this was something that was illegal."

After the warning, she moved the cabinet onto her driveway to be collected.

"People are very polite and probably wouldn't go on your property to take something because they'd be worried about that," she said.

'Help other residents'

Councillor Kieron Wilson, BCP Council's portfolio holder for housing and regulatory services, said: "The council is committed to tackling fly-tipping and has contracted Waste Investigations Support and Enforcement (WISE) to investigate offences and administer penalty notices on behalf of the council as appropriate.

"Officers closely monitor and manage this waste enforcement contract, which includes regular reviews, and a commitment to responding promptly to any issues or concerns that may arise."

Ms Pepin said she planned to appeal the fine.

She said: "I think we need to keep things out of landfill and help other residents."

A BCP Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) for fly-tipping is £500 if paid within 14 days or £1,000 within 28 days.

The maximum penalty that can be imposed by the courts for fly-tipping is £50,000 or imprisonment.