Man accused of fly-tipping - for blowing away leaves

A Salford man has been accused of fly-tipping - for blowing leaves into the street.

Paul Coombes says he was astonished to receive a hand-delivered letter from the local Ellesmere Park Residents' Association threatening to report him to the local authority if he didn't stop using his blower to blast leaves from his drive into the gutter.

"We have been advised that the action of depositing leaves from private property into the road/footpath is fly-tipping, and can attract a hefty fine," the letter read.

"If certain residents persist in blowing leaves from their gardens we will have no alternative other than to report them to the local authority for fly-tipping."

The letter claimed that other residents of the tree-lined street were concerned, as cutbacks meant the council was no longer carrying out regular sweeps itself.

Mr Coombes tells the Manchester Evening News that he was staggered to receive the letter, which followed a previous complaint from one neighbour.

"I had been out with the blower removing leaves not just from my drive but also the pavement and kerb at the entrance to my home to make sure no one slips on them, as my home is opposite a school," he says.

"To suggest it was fly-tipping is ridiculous - does that mean when trees shed their leaves in the street they are also fly-tipping?"

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The letter claimed that Mr Coombes could face a heavy fine from the council for leaving the leaves in the street - although the council dismisses this idea. "It's a load of rubbish... In a court it would not stand up to allege fly-tipping for blowing away leaves," says a spokesman.

This, though, hasn't stopped other, stricter councils from making that claim. Back in 2006, Torquay householder Sandra Pote was told by council workers that sweeping leaves from her driveway into the gutter amounted to fly-tipping - despite the fact that the leaves had fallen from a council-owned tree in the first place.

And three years ago, 82-year-old Barbara Ray of Stratford-upon-Avon was also told the same - and threatened with a fine of up to £50,000 and/or 12 months' imprisonment if she didn't stop sweeping leaves into the street.