Fruit had been left outside home as free gift to neighbours
Picture: Facebook
The good intentions of a nurse from Ealing were thwarted when the windfall apples she left outside her home resulted in her receiving a fine from the council.
Lydia Farrell had collected the fruit and placed them in cardboard boxes with a clear indication that they had been left for people to take away.
However, the firm operating enforcement of fly tipping rules in the borough on behalf of the council issued her with a fixed penalty charge notice of £150.
This was drawn to the attention of the leader of the council, Julian Bell, who said he would look into it. The case also attracted the attention of Vanessa Feltz who is a presenter on BBC Radio 2.
Lydia has now been informed that the fine will be rescinded. She posted on Facebook, “It seems I won’t have to pay the fine! I’ll keep sharing my apples but maybe fix them to my wall somehow next time. Thanks for everyone’s support and kind words. And we now have some passion fruit growing.”
A council spokesperson said, “Councillor Julian Bell, leader of Ealing Council, contacted Ms Farrell when he became aware of the issue.
“The council recognises that the spirit of the residents’ actions was with good intentions. We will be in touch with Ms Farrell to rescind the fine.
“Our priority is to make sure the borough is clean and litter free and we apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused.”
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August 26, 2020