'We were fined £1,200 when our rubbish was stolen'

A couple were fined £1,200 for fly-tipping outside their home – but say their rubbish was ransacked.

Abigail Swinn and her partner, from Boston, felt "helpless" after receiving fixed penalty notices for £600 each.

Ms Swinn, 24, said a bin bag was stolen and raided for its contents, which were then dumped 30ft (10m) away. She has reported the incident to the police.

Boston Borough Council, which issued the fines, said it took environmental crime "very seriously" and would review the case if contacted.

Ms Swinn, who has a young daughter, said: "How we're going to do the fine and Christmas, I don't know.

"It's a lot of money to fork out.

“I did have a couple of tears, because you just don’t know how you’re going to pay it – especially for something that we haven't done.”

The incident happened when the couple were renovating their home.

They took nine bin bags of rubbish to a local tip last Wednesday, but when they returned, they had two additional bags, which they placed next to their bin.

“I checked the council's website – it said you can put four extra bags next to the bins," Ms Swinn explained.

She believes someone stole one of the bags during the night and ripped it open in a car park nearby.

On Thursday, enforcement officers traced the rubbish back to the couple and knocked on their door.

Boston has waged a long-running war on fly-tipping and individuals can be issued fixed penalty notices (FPNs) of up to £1,000.

In July this year, the council said it hoped to “eradicate” the issue, after making progress through a combination of education and enforcement, with 237 FPNs issued in 12 months.

In the first quarter of this year, the council responded to 1,439 fly-tipping incidents, a reduction of 10% on the same period in 2023.

In her case, Ms Swinn said she had tried to explain that there had been a mistake.

The couple have considered appealing the fines, which will be reduced to £400 each if paid within 10 days, but fear they will be taken to court.

“If we lost the court case we’d face a criminal conviction or up to a £50,000 fine,” she said.

“We can’t risk doing that, we don’t want a criminal conviction.”

Ms Swinn said she had spoken to a ward councillor and Lincolnshire Police about the theft.

The force confirmed it had received a report of anti-social behaviour.

However, Ms Swinn said she had been left paying the bill for the fly-tipper.

"They're the one getting away scot-free and we're picking up the mess."

A spokesperson for the council said: “We take allegations of environmental crime offences very seriously as it impacts the cleanliness and safety of our community.

"If a member of the public contacts us regarding a fixed penalty notice, we are committed to reviewing the circumstances around each case and ensuring that the correct process is being followed.”

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