Bin Police Gestapo Fine Shop
Customers
shopping for clothes at the Charli boutique watched in amazement when two
uniformed men marched in and threatened staff with criminal prosecution.
Their crime? Putting out
rubbish in the wrong-coloured bin bags.
Council officers announced that the shop in Muswell Hill, North London, would be
fined £300 after using black bags because they had run out of the grey version
issued by the local authority.
The designer store had been
waiting since July 1 for a delivery of new bags, but by the 17th staff decided
they would have to put their rotting rubbish out in four standard black bags -
a decision which cost them £75 per bag.
Owner Sangita Ibrahim, 47,
said: 'The shop was really busy and they came in here like the Gestapo.
'Staff were told they would
face criminal prosecution and receive a criminal record for the bags. I felt
like I was going to be frogmarched away.'
Colleague Nicole Rosbrook
said: 'The two men actually went through the bags, leaving them open and rubbish
strewn over the pavement.'
Manager Dora Panagi, 41,
added: 'Muswell Hill has a real pest problem and we had food in the bags in the
stock room.
'We had been waiting two weeks
for these grey bags to be delivered so we could put it out.
'It started to smell terrible
so we put it in four black bags and put two of the grey council bags on top so
that they would know it was our rubbish and take it.
'When I came in the next day
there was rubbish all over the pavement and I thought that foxes had got to it.
'Then in walked these two guys
looking like policemen with all the badges and the way they dealt with it was
horrific.
One said there had been a
criminal offence and I didn't know what he was talking about. My knees were
shaking.
She said that when customers
tried to intervene they were brushed aside by the officials.
'Funnily enough the next
morning after that happened the bags were finally delivered.'
A Haringey Council spokesman
said: 'We are working very hard with residents to stop people abusing the trade
waste collection by using it for their rubbish.
Trade waste is left out in
specific bags to ensure we provide paying traders with an efficient service.
The rubbish was clearly not in
the correct bags and looked like the many fly-tipping bags our traders find
dumped in their waste.
'Consequently the notice was
lawfully issued by our fly-tipping patrol who followed proper procedures.
'Having investigated the situation with our contractors who collect trade waste and supply the trade waste bags, we will be contacting the shop to arrange cancelling the enforcement notice in this case.'
Council staff at a rubbish tip are to wear head
cameras so they can record bad behaviour by members of the public.
Poole Council in Dorset said the move was
designed to protect its staff at the Nuffield Household Waste and Recycling
Centre after recent cases of abuse and aggression.