A HOMEOWNER who returned from his honeymoon was shocked to discover he had been slapped with a £150 fine for putting his bins out too early.
Leon Wright, 40, came home with wife Amy, 34, to discover an had been posted through his letterbox.
The couple live in a flat above a row of shops in East Twickenham, southwest London.
Following council guidance the pair on the pavement in colour coded bags.
Their local authority, Richmond Council, says residents should not put their bags out before 8pm the night before collection.
Wright admits that he put his bins out four hours early at 3:25pm but claims the .
He put his bins out at the latest possible time before leaving to Heathrow Airport.
The couple then jetted off on a flight at 7:10pm for a .
Mr Wright said: “I only put it out a few hours before. It was the last thing I did before we left for holiday and the latest time that I could leave it out.
“I came back from my honeymoon with a from Richmond council. It said that we had to pay it within ten days, but we couldn’t because we weren’t even there.
“It was very surprising. We had never had any problems with the before.
“I do my best to follow the rules but it was literally just a few hours before the collection window so I never thought they would send fines straight away.”;
Ten days later, Mr Wright claims he and his wife Amy returned home to discover the on their doorstep.
He claims the penalty is against government guidelines but the local council has “refused”; to cancel it.
He said: “It says in black and white on the GOV.uk website that you can’t issue for leaving bins out a few hours early, which is exactly what they have done.
“They weren’t in the middle of the walkway or obstructing anyone. This is just a blatant to me.
“I am not paying it. This kind of thing just can’t happen. It is absolutely wrong. I will if it comes to that.
“It is not the money but the principle. There is no way I am going to let them get away with it.”;
The council fined Mr Wright under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 Section 87.
They have since agreed to offer Mr Wright an extended timeframe to at a discounted rate of £100.
Mr Wright, however, is refusing to pay a single penny to the local authority.
He said: “It is definitely not what you want to see when you come back from . Especially when you are trying to do your best.
“My neighbours couldn’t believe it. They were all shocked.”;
A Spokesperson for said: “Richmond Council is committed to keeping the borough’s streets clean, safe, and accessible for everyone.
“To help achieve this, we encourage residents to follow the guidance on when to put .
“Waste should only be placed out between 8pm the night before and 6am on the day of collection. When these rules are not followed, may be taken where appropriate.
“We understand that residents can sometimes make genuine mistakes, which is why there is a clear appeals process in place.
“While we don’t comment on individual cases, any new information submitted through this process will be .”;
