A nurse has been fined £150 a cardboard box outside her house - which binmen apparently left behind. Kristal Martin-Lockyer, 31, and courier driver husband Ashley, 34, were shocked to receive the penalty on June 7.
The pair say they had left their recycling outside their house the day before, like they do every week. But they claim binmen only emptied the contents of their green bin - leaving a cardboard box behind.
A fixed penalty notice, addressed to Kristal with a picture of the box attached, then arrived from Enfield Council 24 hours later. It alleged that littering had taken place and said £150 was owed - a fine which could rise to £1,000 if it is not paid within 14 days.
Already tight for money, the couple have been forced to ask the council if they can pay the "unappealable" fine in instalments to avoid the situation escalating. Kristal, who is currently pregnant with her second child, said: "The box was propped up onto our garden wall and the recycling bin - with the obvious intention to recycle.
"The binmen didn't take the box and then someone from the council came knocking saying we need to move it. He gave us the impression he was just issuing a warning and even offered to lend a van to help us dispose of the box.
"But the next day the fine came through the post which is causing us a lot of stress. I haven't been fined for anything before not even a parking ticket - it was completely out of the blue.
"I've had to cut down hours at work due to pregnancy and the cost of living is going up and up so it couldn't of happened at a worse time for us really. We already pay council tax which has effectively been doubled this month because of the fine - and its left us short.
"The council say the fine unappealable so we can't even fight it."
The wording on the fine alleges: "You deposited and left litter by way of a large cardboard box with further smaller cardboard packages inside and a plastic item, on the public highway at [redacted] without consent of the Waste Authority contrary to Section 87 Environmental Protection Act 1990."
Enfield Council has been approached for comment.
