Stuart Swindell is upset after receiving a £200 fine for littering. He claims the boxes were blown away during Storm Darragh, but the council didn’t accept his explanation.

He insists the boxes blew over during Storm Darragh. The council didn’t buy his story, though. Stuart paid the fine, but he thinks it’s unfair. He said the day before the storm was calm, but then the winds kicked up to 25mph.
Living in terraced houses makes the wind even worse. He kept those boxes in his garden, just in case he needed to return some camera parts. But then, bam! They blew over his gate.
Stuart feels it was an honest mistake. He didn’t expect the wind to be that strong. He even mentioned that a trampoline could’ve flown away too. He wishes the council would’ve just tossed the boxes back or knocked on his door instead of slapping him with a fine.
At first, both he and his partner got separate fines. But they dropped his partner’s after realizing the boxes were addressed to Stuart. He thinks it’s silly. He doesn’t litter and even has a video of himself cleaning up a beach.
Stuart believes the council just wants money. He offered to do some litter picking to make up for it, but they insisted on the fine. He’s self-employed, so his income varies. This fine has really messed with his finances.
The boxes were found behind Lime Street. A council member said they take littering seriously. They don’t care about the storm; they just want to enforce the rules. Stuart wishes he could’ve taken it to court but was worried about the costs.