Single mother in battle against council over £500 fly-tipping fine for leaving IKEA cabinet outside her house for people to take for free gets last-minute reprieve

A single mother fined £500 for fly-tipping after leaving an Ikea cabinet outside her home for people to take for free is celebrating a last minute reprieve.

Isabelle Pepin, from Bournemouth, lost her appeal over the fine and was preparing to fight Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council in court for the unfair treatment.

But she has now received a letter stating the council will not take the case to formal prosecution and no further action is required by the 42-year-old mum.

The decision has been made because the council is currently reviewing its policy on fly-tipping and expecting the Cabinet to make a decision in the new year.

She said the battle had been stressful but was glad she stood her ground and refused to pay the fine, which she felt was completely unjust.

Miss Pepin got in trouble when she left an Ikea Trofast cabinet outside her house along with a chest of drawers and a paper sign stating they were free.

The chest of drawers was quickly claimed by someone, but the cabinet had not been taken after four days.

She was stunned when a council official then knocked on her door and told her she was being fined for fly-tipping.

Isabelle Pepin (pictured) was fined £500 for fly-tipping after leaving an Ikea cabinet outside her home for people to take for free is celebrating a last minute reprieve

Isabelle Pepin lost her appeal over the fine and was preparing to fight her local council in court for the unfair treatment. Pictured: The fine from BCP Council

Pictured: The spot where Isabelle Pepin left the Ikea drawers in Southbourne

Miss Pepin appealed the fine and tried to explain she had no intention of fly-tipping but was simply trying to do her bit for the environment and keep the cabinet out of landfill.

She said she had been recycling items in this way for 12 years without any problems before and had no idea it was not allowed.

She criticised BCP Council, who declared a climate emergency in 2019, for targeting homeowners instead of catching real fly-tippers who anonymously dump waste in country lanes.

The council rejected her appeal, despite acknowledging that she had not intended to fly-tip but said the fine was upheld because the cabinet was there for four days.

David Sidwick, Dorsets police and crime commissioner, also waded into the argument stating he agreed with the council that it was illegal and there should be a lack of tolerance for micro-tipping, dumping small amounts of rubbish.

But the letter Miss Pepin has now received from the council said: The council are currently reviewing the policy on flytipping enforcement with a view to a cabinet decision in the new year.

The 42-year-old mum has now received a letter stating the council will not take the case to formal prosecution and no further action is required: Pictured: Isabelle Pepin standing outside her home

As such, no further action is required by you at this time and the council will not be entering the case to court for formal prosecution at this time.

Miss Pepin said: I didnt realise how much tension this had been causing me, but I am pleased I held my ground and refused to pay.

My son is pleased his mum isnt a criminal and I will continue to advocate for recycling and generally being a bit difficult and outspoken in the face of policies that I dont think are beneficial.

The intention for me was never to put it out there as waste. If it wasnt going to be taken I would have disposed of it. I wouldnt have left it out more than a week and I did end up taking it to the dump myself.

It was still useful and had life left in it. Someone could have used it in a kids room or in a garage for tools. If you have the opportunity to reuse something I think you should.

I think its easy pickings for the council targeting people putting something outside their house, rather than actually finding the people who are fly tipping and dumping old mattresses and things down country lanes.