JOBSWORTH council bosses are hitting families with £250 fines for leaving kids’ toys with “please take” signs outside their own homes.
Enforcement officials in Merton, South London, were slammed after threatening to call the police in front of a four-year-old boy for “littering” when his mum tried to donate a Hot Wheels set to her local community.
One mother was trying to give away a hot wheels set worth £150[/caption]
MPs and campaigners last night pushed back against the council’s “needless overreach.”
One case saw the mum of a four-year-old confronted by a uniformed enforcement officer after attempting to give away a £150 toy car set.
She told The Sun: “So many families are struggling at the moment, I thought it was a nice thing to do.
“I said I wouldn’t accept the fine because it was ridiculous, and the man got aggressive and said he would call the police if I didn’t pay.
“My tiny son was next to me and asked, ‘Mummy, why are the police here?’
“When they got pushy, he started crying.”
Local mum Kate Wood was also targeted by enforcement officers for putting a paddling pool outside her front garden in nearby Colliers Wood with a “please take” sign on.
She wrote on a local social media forum: “I was trying to do a good thing and avoid taking this to the dump, and it’s very obviously outside my house and not fly tipping. I’m speechless.”
A whistleblower who briefly worked as a Merton environment officer described how officers are encouraged to use “aggressive and sneaky tactics” to maximise the fines.
He claimed he was explicitly told to hide around corners and target “vulnerable” young women to hit their quotas.
A Merton Council spokesperson insisted leaving items on the pavement “even with the best intentions” could still be classed as fly tipping.
A spokesperson for the council said: “We understand that residents may want to share items they no longer need with their neighbours, and we support reuse and donation when it is done responsibly.
“We’ve spoken to the individuals involved in the incidents raised and have addressed their concerns which have now been resolved.
“We’ll also ensure responses in cases like this are proportionate to the offence.
An enforcement officer threatened to call the police on one woman[/caption]
“We are listening to residents and take all feedback seriously.
“Our enforcement officers work to keep streets clean and safe for everyone.
“They are expected to follow strict protocols and act professionally at all times.”
The council encouraged residents to donate unwanted items to charities like the British Heart Foundation or the Salvation Army.
A spokesperson for the council said locals should consider selling or giving items away on Facebook Marketplace or Freecycle.
What are the rules?
This means that you could be fined or even jailed if rubbish is fly-tipped on your property.
Your council is not responsible for clearing up the fly-tipped waste – even if it was someone else who dumped it on your property.
This means you may have to spend your own money and time finding someone with the right credentials to pick up the waste.
The rules may seem strange, but experts say it deters people from dumping waste on their own land and refusing to pay for clear-up.
If you need to get rid of stuff you don’t want you can sell or give items away through platforms like Facebook Marketplace or Freecycle.
You can also donate items to charities such as the Salvation Army or British Heart Foundation, which offer free collection for large items
Alternatively you can take large items to a recycling centre, or book a bulky waste collection through the Council.
If you are unfairly fined for fly tipping you can challenge the fine by demonstrating that the offense wasn’t your fault or that the fixed penalty notice was wrongly issued.
You’ll need to gather as much evidence as possible and follow the council’s appeal process.
