Young mum is hit by the Talibin

A SINGLE mum copped a £265 penalty for putting her BINS out just a few hours early.

Zoe Watmough was hauled to court after council snoops spotted her trash in an alley. The stunned mum of three was hit with a £75 fine but refused to pay. She was then taken to court.

Zoe was told the council’s rules were strict because they feared arsonists would torch her bins. The 22-year-old said yesterday: "I’m flabbergasted. Surely they should be targeting the vandals." Zoe put two bins in the alley behind her home the day BEFORE collection day. Council rules dictate they should not be out before 7.30am on the day. When contacted by Bolton Council, she refused to pay the fixed penalty inside 14 days and was taken to court where she got a £125 fine, £125 costs and £15 surcharge for victims of crime. Zoe, of Horwich, Lancs, said: "There are people committing all sorts of crimes and getting away with it, yet I have to go to court for this, it’s ridiculous. "All I did was put my rubbish out the night before it was due to be collected. Surely households up and down the country do that every week." She added: "If the council are so worried about vandals they should target them, not householders. "No doubt the yobs would only get a slap on the wrist if they got caught — yet I’ve got to pay the best part of £300." A neighbour added: "What are you supposed to do if you are not around on the day they bin is due to be collected?" The council said Zoe had been warned about leaving her bins out before she was fined. A spokesman said: "Prosecution is always a last resort and is used to safeguard the public and to prevent bin fires and other crime. "It costs the council £1,900 to deal with each bin fire." He said the council had issued 17 fixed penalty letters since last May. The council’s hard line has been repeated across Britain. Gareth Corkhill, 26, was fined £210 for overfilling his bin by four inches in Copeland, Cumbria. Norwich binmen refused to empty Barry Freezer’s bins when they mistook cabbage stalks for garden waste.