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Prison threat for pensioner who put sand back on beach

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
in Politics & Debate
I know it's from the Mail but it was the only place I could find the story.
Story.
What kind of world do we live in if a pensioner is threatened with prison if he returns sand back to the beach.

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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Is it this story? http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1490018.ece

    He wasn't actually threatened with prison, that's the mail sensationalising it. What happened, was asked if he was allowed to return it to the beach, they said it would constitute fly tipping. And the mail said the maximum punishment for which is jail. He would never in a million years get that, and probably would not get fined.

    It's a non story really, if he does it nobody is going to bat an eyelid, but the council can't say 'do it anyway' when by law it's classed as fly tipping.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Ok thanks for that. I still think it's mad that it can be classed as fly tipping.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Yea, it is really. But if you were in an office job and someone said could they take something from their garden and dump it on the beach - even if it was sand - and you said 'go ahead' and then later it turned out it was fly tipping, you would be the one getting in trouble.

    These days you need a lawyer to read a birthday card, it is a bit silly.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Well it is fly-tipping.

    I'm just laughing at the idea that someone would buy a house next to a beach and then complain about the wind and the sand. Ludicrous.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    how is putting something back where it came from fly tipping? Seems a bit daft that he asked, all he needed to do was put it in a bucket and tip in back onto the beach. Not like anyone would notice.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Maybe he complained to the council and asked for the workers to put it back on the beach for him, since they reference in both articles the council said 'they only clear it from public areas'.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    It is technically fly-tipping, putting refuse on an open public space. I doubt the council would concern themselves too much if he did pour sand back on the beach, but the council cannot legally do it for him. Private companies can't do it for him, either, as the company would be prosecuted and fined. The council will be happy to come and take away his rubbish for him, and place it in the municipal dump, but will charge him for doing so.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    One wonders why he said anything in the first place.....?
    Technically it would constitute littering, the law states littering is "to deposit or leave in a place any thing" without defining what a "thing" is. I think prosecuting someone, or even warning them about it with sand is a bit daft.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    The council are duty-bound to remind him of the law- they cannot condone or carry out illegal activity. If he fly-tips he can potentially be prosecuted, the Council are right to remind him of that.

    He'll have wanted to the council to do it for him and got in a radge when they wouldn't. Stupid whiney old people.
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