A woman has been fined £400 for putting rubbish in a wheelie bin after picking up litter on her street.

A report in the Daily Mail claims private enforcement agents are using aggressive tactics to penalise people for fly-tipping - with the councils who benefit "turning a blind eye".

Earlier this year, the Government introduced stricter punishments for nuisance crimes and encouraged authorities to issue on-the-spot penalties - with up to £1,000 for littering.

But campaigners argue this policy has given private firms, often working under multi-million-pound council contracts, more incentives to hand out fines.

Jane Pearce, a Camden woman who took it upon herself to clean her street, was shocked when she was fined £400.

The 70-year-old mother of two had swept up outside her home and in her elderly neighbour’s garden, depositing the bag of rubbish in a wheelie-bin across the road.

The council's letter included photos, which she said made her feel "spied upon".

She told the Mail: "I thought, ‘I’m doing the citizenly thing’, but never again. I was so shocked."

Camden Council said it had received several complaints from Curnock Estate residents about bins being filled by non-residents.

According to a poll conducted by Consumer Intelligence for the Mail, 3% of Britons have been accused of fly-tipping, with four in five believing they were unfairly targeted or fined.

Josie Appleton, the director of the Manifesto Club campaign group, claims to be contacted weekly by individuals who have been wrongly accused of fly-tipping.

She points out that private firms are often paid per fine, creating a financial incentive for them to issue as many fines as possible.

Freedom of information requests revealed that in the 2021/22 period, 35 councils paid private enforcement companies a total of £5 million, while 44 authorities generated £4.1 million in fines revenue.

Of the 66 councils that employed private agencies to police fly-tipping, 90% of them paid per fine issued.

The concern raised by Appleton is that increasing fines will only further incentivize the punishment of innocent individuals unless real sanctions are implemented to prevent it.

Conservative MP Robin Millar, who represents Aberconwy in Wales, has criticised the behavior of private enforcement companies, accusing them of bullying and intimidating members of the public.

He believes local authorities turn a blind eye to the actions of these contractors because they profit from the fines issued.

A spokesperson for the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs stated that fines should not be used as a means to generate revenue.