I was fined £50 for recycling my newspapers

When Linda Sims left a bag of newspapers next to a 'locked' recycling bin, she believed she was doing her bit for the environment.

But the council thought otherwise - and after watching her on CCTV, it fined her for littering.

Mrs Sims, 42, had gone to the open-air site to recycle her newspapers, some cardboard and some old shoes.

She put the cardboard and shoes in the correct containers. But when she tried to do the same with the newspapers, she found a padlock on the lid of the bin.

Rather than take the papers home again, she left them on the ground for collection, making sure the two carrier bags couldn't fall over.

However, every detail of her visit to the site near her home in Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, was recorded, including her car registration number.

Despite her good intentions, council officials decided that she was 'littering not recycling' and demanded her details from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency.

Two days later, she received a £50 fixed-penalty notice through the post. It warned that failure to pay within 14 days could lead to prosecution and a fine of up to £2,500.

Mrs Sims, an insurance worker who is married to a police officer, said last night: "I spent ten or 15 minutes flattening the cardboard before I put it in the container. But I was defeated when I got to the newspaper bin. I saw the padlock and assumed someone had either locked it by mistake or that the bin was full.

"I only discovered afterwards that the padlock was to stop the main flap being opened and that I could have lifted the lid.

"It is quite ridiculous to suggest I am a fly-tipper. It was a genuine mistake but the council won't listen to reason. They are using bullying tactics to make people pay and swell their coffers.

"I was easy to trace as I am a law-abiding citizen and my car is insured, taxed and has an MoT certificate."

A Broxbourne council spokesman said: "While Mrs Sims's concerns are fully appreciated by the council, it has statutory duties placed on it on waste disposal and fly-tipping."

The DVLA said local authorities have the right to apply for personal information about a driver if they 'have a purpose associated with the investigation of an offence'.