In a concerning case of overzealous enforcement, an 83-year-old grandmother from Reading, Berkshire has been slapped with a hefty £600 fine and threatened with a criminal conviction for allegedly ‘fly-tipping’ a single cardboard box. Carole Wright, a grandmother-of-four, claims she simply placed the box, which had contained a new egg poaching pan, into a recycling bin at her local community centre.
However, the local council, working with an environmental enforcement contractor called Kingdom, has pursued the matter relentlessly, sending Wright threatening letters and demanding full payment within days. Wright’s daughter, Catherine, 50, says the ordeal has had a devastating impact on her mother’s health, with Wright becoming increasingly distraught and refusing to eat.
“My mum keeps saying she doesn’t want to go on any more. She’s just staring at walls, crying. She’s not eating,” Catherine said. “Her health has really declined since this all happened. I’m just so worried about her, she’s such a lovely person – she’s the best mum you could ever have.”
The council claims it has a duty to investigate any incidents of fly-tipping, and that further information was requested from Wright but no response was received within the 30-day period. However, Catherine insists her mother did respond and even had her brother visit the council to ask what could be done, only to be told to call the council’s support line.
“They said ‘you have failed to respond’, which isn’t true,” Catherine said. “My brother even went into the council to ask what we could do, and the only thing they told him was to ring Reading Council support, which we’ve done. It keeps going round and round in circles.”
The council and the enforcement contractor, Kingdom, have both stated that they remain open to dialogue with Wright and are willing to consider any evidence of extenuating circumstances. However, the family says they have been unable to provide the requested medical evidence, as Wright’s declining health has made it difficult.
This case has sparked outrage, with many questioning the council’s heavy-handed approach and the impact it is having on an elderly, vulnerable resident. As the family continues to navigate this frustrating ordeal, the public will be watching closely to see if a more compassionate resolution can be found.
