'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.'
A couple who tried to clean up their rat-infested street feel they’ve been punished by their local council who fined them £1,200 for fly-tipping.
Veronika Mike and Zoltan Pinter have lived in the same home in Stoke-on-Trent for nine years and have seen it get dirtier and dirtier thanks to neighbours and others who dump rubbish.
Zoltan, 46, reached his breaking point and filled up an old box with litter left scattered around the street, placing it beside the bins in the hope the council would pick it up.
But instead he and Veronika, 41, were dismayed to each receive a fly-tipping fine of £600 – even though only Zoltan’s name was written on the box.
The couple have now vowed never to clean their street again.
Veronika said: ‘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.’
Over the years the couple have cleaned up the street themselves, sometimes with help from neighbours, but recently the situation has become so bad that they’ve spotted rats, cats, and seagulls going through the rubbsh.
Zoltan explained: ‘A lot of people don’t use their own bin, they just put it on top of other people’s.
‘They are attracted by the smell and tear through the plastic bags.
‘That’s why there is so much rubbish scattered around the bins.’
Veronika and Zoltan believe it’s unfair that the council fined both of them, especially as Veronika’s name was not on the box, and claimed that the waste collectors don’t pick up any rubbish lying around, only what is in the bins.
Zoltan even sent a letter to the council, signed by several neighbours, testifying that they are clean residents of the street and were only trying to tidy up – to no avail.
‘There was a lot of rubbish lying around, but they don’t care, they just found one name on the box – Zoltan’s, and they charged us. It’s not fair,’ Veronika said.
‘We will do nothing [from now on]. Even if the rats come, we are too afraid to do anything now.’
Councillor Amjid Wazir OBE, cabinet member for city pride, enforcement and sustainability said: ‘This matter has been resolved and all liability discharged.
‘We remind residents and businesses that fly-tipping is an offence and all perpetrators will be met with a fixed penalty notice.’
Zoltan and Veronika have set up a GoFundMe to try and recoup some of the money they paid out on the two fines, which can be found here.
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