Overview

• Clyde Strachan was fined £1,000 for putting his bins out six hours early before going on holiday.
• The council withdrew the fixed-penalty notice within hours of media inquiries, admitting his actions did not amount to persistent fly-tipping.
• Hammersmith and Fulham’s 72-officer enforcement team patrols day and night, issuing more than 2,200 fines in 2024 after raising fly-tipping penalties from £200 to £1,000.
• Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick labelled the fine “Stasi-like” and the TaxPayers’ Alliance called it disproportionate overreach against minor infractions.
• Campaigners are calling for clearer waste-collection rules and greater transparency in the council’s enforcement practices.