Welwyn Hatfield residents say they're being wrongly fined for fly-tipping
Multiple residents claim they are being penalised for waste they disposed of correctly, as the council insists enforcement measures are necessary
Last updated 5th Mar 2025
A Welwyn Garden City mum says she “felt ill” after being handed a £500 fine and asked to attend an interview under caution for allegedly fly-tipping a single box, which she denies.
Claire Hattam, a hospice worker, is one of four residents who have spoken to the Local Democracy Reporting Service about the impact of fines issued by District Enforcement Ltd, which has been working on behalf of Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council.
District Enforcement receive a cut of the income from each Fixed Penalty Notice they issue.
All four residents we spoke to say they had disposed properly of the rubbish they are accused of fly-tipping.
In Claire’s case, she had put an empty box that had contained Christmas gifts into the communal bin store at her daughter’s Hatfield flat. The box had her name and address on it.
Then, in early January, she received a letter from the council accusing her of fly-tipping “cardboard” near her daughter’s address and that she was being issued with a £500 fine, reduced to £350 if she paid within ten days.
She immediately contacted District Enforcement and suggested they look at the CCTV from the building which would, she says, show her taking the box into the bin store.
However, District Enforcement replied: “We cannot confirm the presence of CCTV coverage for the site beyond what has been reviewed during the investigation.”
After a further “threatening” letter asking Claire to pay the fine, she received a letter on February 26 sent by the Ops Support Team on behalf of Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council, asking her to attend a video interview held under caution a few days later on February 28.
Claire said: “This has literally taken over my life for the last six weeks. I’ve spent hours phoning, emailing, ringing people. The council have been absolutely useless.
“These people are horrendous. It’s making me feel ill. I’m like a nervous wreck putting out my recycling.”
Claire is far from alone in being faced with a hefty fine for alleged fly-tipping. Deborah Ronchetti, who runs a Ukrainian support group in Welwyn Garden City, has been supporting a Ukrainian mum who received a £500 fine – also reduced to £350 if paid quickly – for supposedly fly-tipping rubbish behind a house “several streets away from where she actually lives” and which, Deborah says, she had not heard of until the fine was issued.
The Ukrainian woman “borrowed money to pay” because she was “so scared of being dragged to court”. Attempts to claim a refund have so far proved unsuccessful.
Ms Ronchetti said: “These are real people, real lives, and the effect has been devastating. But neither the council nor the enforcers seem to care.”
Then there’s Joanna, who lives in Hatfield and was hit with a £500 fine after, she says, leaving an Amazon box in her shared bin storage.
Officers from District Enforcement said they found the Amazon box with her name and address on it on January 7 in a shopping trolley with other detritus a 30-minute walk from Joanna’s home.
She suggested to District Enforcement that they should look at CCTV cameras from a nearby building to show she had not brought the rubbish there. A response said they had “reviewed the matter and are satisfied that the Fixed Penalty Notice was issued correctly”.
They added Joanna had “offered no evidence as to how the waste was found to be at the location”.
Joanna, who currently works part-time after being off with long-term sickness, said: “The council are saying I need to prove I am not guilty. It’s supposed to be innocent until proven guilty.”
Martin Fielder, a dad who gave up his job to care for his children after his wife died, was also fined £500 – when an envelope blew out of his bin – and says the situation is “crazy”.
He told the Guardian he had “been in a constant state of anxiety” since receiving the fine.
After complaining to Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council and telling District Enforcement he planned to challenge it in court, the fine was reduced to £100 for littering, a different offence to fly-tipping.
Martin said: “It’s tempting to pay because going to court risks an increased fine and a criminal record. But I don’t want to capitulate. I haven’t done anything wrong.”
Andrew Lewin, Labour MP for Welwyn Hatfield, said there has been a “surge” in residents contacting him “with concerns about the District Enforcement policy of the council”.
He said “many” residents contacting him had been in “a state of shock”.
The MP is calling for “an urgent review” of the council’s policy and “for fines to be quickly rescinded when they have wrongly been issued”.
Cllr Max Holloway, leader of the council, said earlier this month that the council had conducted a “robust review” of how fines are issued. The issue has been raised at multiple meetings by Cllr Tony Kingsbury, leader of the Conservative opposition group.
A Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council spokesperson said: “Our residents have told us that fly-tipping, illegal dumping and littering are important issues to them and the council has been working with District Enforcement since last September as part of a 12-month pilot program to take action against those committing waste offences.
“We understand that it can be upsetting to receive a FPN and a representation can be made to District Enforcement.
“The council will continue to work with District Enforcement to make sure that their processes are appropriate and robust at all times.”
A District Enforcement spokesperson said: “District Enforcement officers are trained to carry out enforcement in line with legal standards and the council’s enforcement policy.
“Measures are in place to ensure a thorough review of disputed penalties, and if a dispute remains unresolved, we will carefully assess the evidence before determining any further enforcement action.
“We are unable to comment on any ongoing investigations.”