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18/11/2011 10:24:58 Rip Posts: 1

Hi, totally new but I need some advice. It's my mother-in-laws 50th today so the kids made her a banner (Happy 50th Grandma) to hang from a local bridge where everyone does this, now my wife and I were hanging it this morning when a man walked over and flashed a badge from the council and announced he was going to give us an on the spot fine for fly-tipping, i questioned this as we were intending to take the banner away after the kids finish school (they wanted it so we really were) he then said it was littering, again I questioned this as if we intended to take it away surely it isn't either? The man and I were obviously not going to get on so my wife asked me to walk away (I'm 17 stone with a shaved head so I'll admit I can come across as quite intimidating, and I do get somewhat irritated when people arn't listening, so I did) as I walked away he said if my wife took the banner down he would waive the fine, at this point two police arrived and joined the conversation (which i was no longer part of) in the end my wife has been forced to accept a £50 fine for fly-tipping, now I've looked up the term in a legal dictionary (illegally leaving things that you do not want next to a road, in fields, in rivers, etc.) and I don't think this council official has acted correctly, I accept that if we'd left the banner there it would be littering but since we said we would be removing it at a set time then I don't see the problem, plus if my wife had removed it at the time then there would have been no offence, we have been advised that we can appeal the fine but we have to do so asap...... Any advice?

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