Wheelie bin prosecution

The case against Peter John Thompson of Gammidge Court , Finedon, was proven against him in his absence at Wellingborough Magistrates Court on 2 December. He was found guilty of four offences in April and May of failing to comply with an official notice served on him by Wellingborough Council.

Following complaints about bins being left out persistently on the pavement outside Gammidge Court , the council served notices in February on occupiers of all the properties making them legally responsible for taking their bins in after collection.  Subsequent inspections showed Mr Thompson's bins remaining out, sometimes for several days after collection, therefore he was issued with a fixed penalty which he did not pay. At court he was fined £175 and ordered to pay £150 costs plus a £15 victim surcharge.

Cllr Malcolm Waters, chairman of the council's community committee said, "Bins left out on pavements are a nuisance and a fire risk and we shall take action against any householder who ignores our requests to take their bins in. Enforcement is a last resort and in this particular instance several residents ignored our repeated warnings to keep their bins off the street therefore we had no alternative but to serve official notices on them. Anyone not complying with the notice was then committing an offence. Where residents have genuine problems with storage or presentation of their bins we shall always do everything we can to assist them."