Criminal record for overfull bin

Stringent council bosses in Whitehaven, Cumbria, have left a local resident with a criminal record for overfilling his wheelie bin. The lid of the bin was held open with excess rubbish by just ten centimetres (four inches).

Gareth Corkhill, 26, was issued with a £110 fixed notice penalty in January this year. After failing to pay the fine, he was summoned to court, but failed to make an appearance. A further £115 was then added to his fine in legal costs, and Mr. Corkhill was given a criminal record.

Despite uproar in the national media, Copeland Borough Council are unrepentant. A representative for the council said fines would be issued even if bin lids were left open by just 2.5 centimetres (one inch). They also pointed out that Mr. Corkhill’s large family is no excuse for his excess rubbish because he has been given a bin 50% larger than the usual size.

Mr. Corkhill and his wife, Claire, have now been able to pay the fine after local vicar, Reverend John Bannister, campaigned to raise the money. The couple has also reported that an anonymous donor arrived at their doorstep with the full amount. He was driving a BMW.

Local residents are left fuming that the ‘bin police’ have ended up winning anyway. Copeland Borough Council say that they will continue to come down hard on anyone who flouts wheelie bin regulations.