Council Apologises for 'Intimidating' Fly-tip Fine Letter
Elderly woman who left envelope in recycling bin upset by mention of prison
Cllr Thompson says council should focus on action to reduce overflowing bins
December 11, 2025
An elderly resident’s £1,000 fine for leaving a small envelope beside an overflowing recycling bin has been cancelled by Hounslow Council, but opposition councillors are raising concerns about the way the council expressed itself in communications.
The widow, who lives off Kew Bridge Road was issued a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) after placing a flattened cardboard envelope beside a communal recycling bin that was already full. The enforcement letter referenced the Police and Criminal Evidence Act and warned of unlimited fines and up to five years in prison.
The resident, who regularly tidies the bin area, said she was left anxious and unable to sleep. Intervention from her family and local councillor Peter Thompson (Chiswick Riverside) eventually led to the fine being cancelled and a review of enforcement letters.
Cllr Thompson said, “This is a shocking and deeply upsetting case. A vulnerable elderly woman was frightened and intimidated by a £1,000 fine for behaviour that was entirely reasonable – placing a tiny piece of cardboard next to a bin the Council had failed to empty.”
He criticised the council’s approach as lacking “proportionality, humanity and common sense” and called for fairer rules for communal bins, clearer enforcement letters, and improved waste servicing to prevent overflows.
Hounslow Council has since apologised, acknowledging that the legal wording used by its enforcement partner APCOA “could have been clearer” and pledging to review future communications.
Following government changes in 2023, boroughs were allowed to raise fly‑tipping fines from £400 to £1,000, the maximum permitted under law. Hounslow increased fines in April 2025, citing more than 27,000 incidents of fly‑tipping in a single year and £370,000 annual disposal costs.
While councils argue the higher fines are necessary to deter illegal dumping, critics say they risk penalising residents for minor infractions, especially in areas where communal bins are regularly overflowing.
The letter sent by APCOA to the resident
There have been a number of similar cases in Hounslow, but it is understood that many fines have been cancelled. Recently Loretta Alvarez, a single mother and NHS nurse from Feltham was also fined £1,000 for leaving waste near communal bins.
Neighbouring boroughs such as Hammersmith & Fulham often take a different approach, using education, warning letters, and improved servicing rather than immediate heavy fines.
A spokesperson for Hounslow Council said, “We are sorry for the concern this caused the resident. The formal letter issued by our enforcement partner used standard legal wording similar to that used by councils nationally. It is intended to clearly set out the legal framework for the FPN, not to intimidate.
“However, we recognise the language could have been clearer in this case and we are reviewing our enforcement letters to ensure they strike the right balance and avoid causing undue concern. Our enforcement partner, APCOA, have since apologised to the resident verbally and in writing.”
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