As responsible citizens, we should keep our streets and neighbourhoods clean by properly disposing of waste and participating in community clean-up efforts. However, in a bizarre event, a couple in the UK have been slapped with a 1,200 pound (Rs 1,30,079) fine by their local council after they tidied up the rubbish outside their home, BBC reported.
The couple stated that their road had been plagued with "disgusting" litter for years. Taking matters into their own hands, Veronika Mike and her boyfriend Zoltan Pinter, from Stoke-on-Trent, decided to clean the garbage themselves. On April 29, they filled a cardboard box with food remnants and discarded packaging to stop it from scattering, placing it beside the bins in hopes that the council would take it away.
Days later on May 8, they received a fine from the council who said that they had failed ''to transfer household waste to an authorised authority''. Instead of gratitude, both received 600-pound fines each for their efforts.
The letter from the council read: "This is being issued to you as you failed in your legal duty to transfer controlled waste to an authorised person. Evidence has been obtained that the items in the picture provided originated from your home address."
It added, ''The allegation is not that you placed the waste at the location, but that you failed in your legal duty when transferring household items. It is the legal duty of domestic households to ensure the transfer of waste to authorised persons to stop flying tipping."
Mr Pinter paid the fine immediately while Ms Mike is paying it off in monthly instalments of 100 pounds. ''We just wanted to clean our street and that's the thanks we get from the council. At first, I was very angry and I cried. I have volunteered for litter picking before, and I essentially did the same thing and got two £600 penalties for nothing. For the first few years, it was OK but after that, it's always been messy in the street. The bins are in front of our main entrance, it's disgusting,'' Ms Mike said.
After their experience, the couple vowed to never clean their streets again "even if the rats come".
They have now started a fundraiser to help pay off the fines they received for cleaning the area. They have received an outpouring of support and have collected more than 2000 pounds on GoFundMe.
City councillor Amjid Wazir said the matter was considered resolved.
