Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Shop worker was fined for dropping wrapping in store
A shop worker was shocked to receive a fine for waste after she discarded a sandwich wrapping inside the store.
Lynn Brown, 70, was helping out at the vintage clothes business Revivals in St Peter’s Street when two council enforcement officers entered.
The owner, Debbie Barwick, was out and Ms Brown was informed that the shop did not have a waste disposal licence.
The officers spotted the wrapping and told her she was guilty of illegally disposing waste and issued a fixed penalty ticket for £300, reduced to £180 if paid within 10 days.
It was later rescinded but the “intimidating” episode has left Ms Brown upset and suffering sleepless nights.
The great-grandmother said the incident on May 9 “was very frightening”. She said: “When they came into the shop they recited like a police caution then one of the men said ‘what’s this?’ It was my sandwich wrapper.
“At first I thought someone was playing a joke on me, I just don’t understand. I was an easy target because I’m an old lady. It was really intimidating. “They haven’t confirmed they have cancelled the penalty notice. I haven’t had a letter – just an apology.”
Ms Brown, of Herne Avenue, Herne Bay, was informed that the interview with the officers was being videod and they demanded to see the commercial waste disposal licence.
“I said well I haven’t got one. He then said he is giving me a ticket. He said for getting rid of your rubbish,” she said.
Mrs Barwick insisted she had a licence but recycled all trade waste and donated unwanted stock went to the British Heart Foundation charity shop.
City council spokesman Rob Davies said: “We received some information that trade waste generated at Revivals in Canterbury was not being disposed of in a legal manner. All businesses have a duty of care to dispose of waste legally and must have a trade waste agreement in place.
“When we receive information that a business might be acting illegally, we always investigate it
“Our enforcement officers visited the premises recently as part of this investigation. The owner was not present, but the officers issued a fixed penalty notice to a lady who they believed was managing the store at the time. During the conversation, food waste was given as an example of the type of rubbish a business produces that is considered to be trade waste.
“Following a subsequent challenge by the lady, we accepted her point that she was merely minding the store on the owner’s behalf and the fixed penalty notice was cancelled. We have written to her to notify her of this and, in the letter, also apologised if any distress was caused.
“Our investigation into the trade waste disposal issue at Revivals is continuing and we will be inviting the owner of the business in for an interview so we can try and resolve the matter.”