A ST PAUL'S CRAY man who left three bags of beer cans at a recycling centre thought he was doing the world a favour - instead he received an £80 fine for flytipping.

Keith Askew, of Ravensbury Road, says the can bin at the Cotmandene Crescent centre was full, so he left the bags next to it.

Having driven there in a company van, his boss received a call within days saying Mr Askew had been fined.

The 54-year-old said: "I went down to the Cotmandene Crescent recycling centre.

"The bin for cans was full to the brim, you couldn't get one more can in it.

"I'd had a party so I had three carrier bags full of beer cans, so I left the three cans tied up by the bottom of the bin."

He added: "I'd driven a company van there and a couple of days later I got a phone call from my boss.

"He said 'you've been done for fly tipping'.

"I said 'no I haven't'.

"I couldn't believe it. There are no signs or anything there. How was I supposed to know what I was doing was wrong?"

Mr Askew, who described the fine as a "stealth tax" says he complained about the situation to the council, but they stood by the fine.

He said: "I am not just some pikey boy who leaves his bags down there.

"I pay my taxes, I go to work, I am a law abiding citizen."

A council spokesman said: "As there are outstanding legal issues which need to be resolved, it is difficult to comment at this stage.

"All I can add at this stage is that all unpaid FPN charges are further reviewed by senior management prior to the commencement of legal proceedings and that is the situation we find ourselves in now."