PEOPLE living in a block of Worcester flats were shocked when a police community support officer turned up to issue them with a £100 fine for failing to use their wheelie bins properly.

Tenants at the block of flats in Ronkswood had been putting their rubbish out in bin bags when the communal wheelie bins provided become full.

But their actions have resulted in them each being issued with £100 fixed penalty notices and a threat of court action with a possible £1,000 fine if they fail to pay.

A representative of Worcester Community Housing, accompanied by a PCSO, visited Lichfield Avenue, Ronkswood, on Thursday morning to dish out the fixed penalty notices.

At least three tenants in a block of six flats were issued with notices by the PCSO for failure to comply with waste receptacles notice'.

Single mother Laura Davies, aged 19, said: "I was really shocked when they turned up and gave these fines out. There are not enough bins for us all to use, so what else are we supposed to do with our rubbish?

I cannot afford to pay £100, I have a two-year-old child to care for."

Tenants in six flats have to share two black wheelie bins and two green ones, which are collected on alternate weeks.

Patrick and Tracey Seery have lived in the flats for 26 years. Mr Seery, aged 71, said: "This is so unfair."

Mrs Seery, aged 44, said: "We told the lady there were not enough bins, but she just said that it wasn't her problem and that we should ask for another."

Shaun Dayus, aged 22, and his partner Clare Houldey, aged 18, also received a fixed penalty notice.

He said: "There are only two black bins, serving six flats, and they are only emptied once a fortnight. We cannot possibly fit all our bags into the two bins so we have to leave them by the side."

The £100 fine is reduced to £60 if paid within 10 days, and residents are entitled to appeal against the notice.

The tenants all insisted that they had received no prior warnings that they could be fined. However, Worcester City Council said they were all issued with notices earlier this year, informing them that they must not leave bags outside the black bins.

Mike Harrison, the city's head of cleaner and greener, said residents were later issued a further notice, stating they had failed to comply and would be fined.

Mr Harrison said the council had been asked to take action by Worcester Community Housing, which owns the flats.

Jean Dalziel, customer services director at WCH, said: "Rubbish being dumped at this location has been a big problem for a while now. We had lots of complaints from people about the mess." She promised to look into whether the bins were adequate.

The fixed penalty notices were issued by a PCSO for Worcester City Council.