Woman who is 4ft tall and can't put rubbish in bin faces court action as a result

Tia Goldsmith has been fined for not recycling her cardboard and could face prosecution

A woman who is 4ft tall is being warned she could face court action for failing to put cardboard rubbish in her bin.

Tia Goldsmith was given a £100 fine for leaving two large cardboard boxes next to her wheelie bin, as she couldn't physically reach to place it inside the bin, reports PlymouthLive.

The 36-year-old hospital secretary has appealed against the fine, as a result of her height she was "not tall enough" to put the recyclable waste in the bin.

She had dragged the cardboard packaging from a new fireplace to the alleyway behind her home.

As she was unable to get it into the bin, she left it by the bin hoping the refuse collectors would remove it for her.

When they didn't take it, a warden saw it had been left behind and issued a £100 fine through the post for "littering in public".

She began an appeal on the grounds of her height, as a result of a restricted growth condition known as Achondroplasia.

If she does not pay the fine immediately, she risks being taken to court.

"I think it's disgusting" she said.

"I'm worried about what will happen - I am a law-abiding citizen. I have never even gone to magistrates court.

"The way they are treating me, and the way they have gone about it, is unacceptable.

"I want to fight it until the end - even if I end up having to pay the £100, at least I'd have fought it. And all over a couple of cardboard boxes."

She added: "I don't understand it -there's no logic."

She questioned what will happen at Christmas when people order from Amazon and need large cardboard boxes taken away. "What if they don't fit inside their bins?"

She fears she's been made a scapegoat for recent flytipping in the area where she lives. As her personal details were on the boxes, she said it giave the local authority an opportunity to pinpoint the blame on someone.

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Tia doesn't class herself as disabled but is aware she is "at a disadvantage compared to average height people."

Pymouth City Council's spokesman said: "We are unable to explain the full set of circumstance that led to this Fixed Penalty Notice being issued because it remains an ongoing case.

"Litter and fly-tipping in the back lanes of Plymouth is an issue regularly reported to us by residents, and as we have heavily publicised, issuing fixed penalty notices is one of the ways that we are trying to tackle this."

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