Store fined £300 for using wrong bin bags
nlnews@archant.co.uk
24 July 2008
A SHOP owner in Muswell Hill has likened Haringey Council to the Gestapo after being fined £300 by officers for using the wrong bin bags.
Sangita Ibrahim, 47, who owns designer clothes boutique Charli in Muswell Hill Broadway, said: "The shop was really busy and they came bounding in like the Gestapo and said, 'We're investigating a possible crime.' I felt like I was going to be frog-marched away."
Commercial waste is collected by council contractors Haringey Enterprise and has to be disposed of in official grey bin bags.
But Mrs Ibrahim says she put it out in four black bags after an expected delivery of official bags at the beginning of the month had failed to arrive despite calls to Haringey Enterprise asking for more.
Dora Panagi, who works in the shop, said: "We had none left and we had to get rid of the rubbish as it was beginning to get smelly and we've had problems with rats in the past.
"We put the black bags out amongst our last two council bags so they'd know they were ours, not just somebody dumping their rubbish amongst the business rubbish."
The women were also critical of the council officers, who they say opened the black bags to check their contents leaving the rubbish exposed.
"It seems ludicrous that environmental services would leave litter all over the street," said Mrs Panagi.
Charli was fined £75 per black bag but Mrs Ibrahim wants to appeal. She also plans to lodge a complaint about the conduct of the officers, who she says confronted her in front of customers last Thursday afternoon.
She said: "I felt really intimidated by them. It was really unprofessional of them to confront me in front of customers. They were obviously on a power trip - they were just so rude.
"Some of the customers told me they were shocked at the way I had been spoken to, as though I was a criminal. They actually said I could get a criminal record just for using the wrong bin bags."
A council spokesman said: "The notice was lawfully issued by our enforcement team who were on patrol tackling fly-tipping and rubbish dumping. This is a significant problem in this area which residents and traders want us to sort out. We are happy that our officers followed proper procedures.
"However, having investigated the situation with our waste contractors who collect trade waste and supply the trade waste bags, we will be contacting the shop to arrange cancelling the notice in this case.
"Anyone concerned that they have been wrongly issued with a fixed penalty notice should contact the council as soon as possible to lodge an appeal.
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