The dog lives in it.

Those front gardens are tiny. Is the policeman guarding the bunting (presumably it is St Helens if so).

ask them can you fine them if they dont empty them on the chosen day like the rarely do. As they have given you notification of when it is. Also you can tell them you was in hospital due to a fall and it wasnt a priority, some crap like that will work.

A couple of questions for you Tuggles. Firstly what legislation did they issue the fixed penalty under and secondly where do you present your bin for collection. The reason being I work for another local authority dealing with this kind of thing and I find it a little strange that they just issued you a FPN without warning.

The bin is collected from the rear of my house and left about 120 yards way by the binmen at the end of the alley (which coincidentally is an absolute bombsite, full of broken bricks, other peoples garden waste etc).

The legislation code is NI1 or NL1 (cant read the Nazi's handwriting).

About 14 months ago (at a guess) i had a letter through the door telling me that i had put the wrong colour of bin out (green instead of blue or visa versa) for the scheduled collection.

The questions i have are

If i had not painted my house number on the bin (to stop theft) then how would they have known it was mine? do all the "offenders" who have unmarked bins get away Scott free?

Why do the houses on the other side of the street (who have been gifted a large steel gate at the entrances to their alleyway) have carte blanche to leave all there bins wherever they want. I have just looked now and there must be 20 bins left there currently. Some that will not have been moved since Christmas (blue bins).

The simple reason that the bin had not been brought in was one of pure forgetfulness. I specifically asked the wife not to collect it during the day as that would have necessitated leaving a 9 week old baby in the house unsupervised with a Springer spaniel (when he is not in the fridge ).

Generally i collect the bin after i have walked the dog as i need my walking boots on the navigate the compost and muck that resides in the alleyway. However to my eternal condemnation i simply "forgot" to bring it in.

PS my flippant tone is in no way directed at you.

I am pretty flabbergasted that this has lead to a £60 pound fine and (if i was not take the issue to court and lose) a criminal record.

I have been handed a larger fine than some shoplifters have been given this week in court.

I mean i am the type of person who (with some gentle persuasion from the wife.....) stands in the freezing cold most nights separating all my rubbish into the relevant bin.

How the flip can that be a justifiable offence?

I am seething

Is this for real?? Fining for leaving bins out?? What's the reason behind it? They want us to have stinking smelling overflowing bins in our garden for longer than needed because they CBA to empty them on collection day, but the second they're left out too long you're slapped with a fine?

Nope

You are 100% correct.

You get what you vote for, or you get what everyone else votes for when you fail to vote.

Lets face it with turn out being 30% for local elections, set up your own party before the next local elections with the promise to revoke the bin tax and there is a good chance you will get in.

So every cloud has a silver lining, it's cost you £60, but could earn you a councillors salary + expenses.

Tell them that until they have 100 percent success in collecting the bins on time that their fine system is unreasonable and refuse to pay. If they want to collect it, see them in court. You would win.