A woman has slammed her council's decision to fine her £400 for fly tipping - because she left an aquarium outside her home. 

Emma Haywood, 40, said she had purchased the

A woman has slammed her council's decision to fine her £400 for fly tipping - because she left an aquarium outside her home. 

Emma Haywood, 40, said she had purchased the fish tank with the intention of setting it up inside her home in Radcliffe-on-Trent, Notts.

Having moved it up towards her house, she decided to leave the lower part - the casing - at the front as she says she had been suffering from a bad back.

Ms Haywood has claimed that she did not have anybody that could help her carry the casing into her home.

But after leaving outside for five days, Rushcliffe Borough Council issued her with a fine and a letter stating that she must pay £200 within 14 days or be forced to pay a hefty £400 instead.

Emma Haywood, 40, is facing a £400 fine after leaving an aquarium outside her Radcliffe on Trent, Notts home for five days because she was 'suffering from a bad back'

'I picked up an aquarium from a lady in West Bridgford that was moving,' she said.

'I had a tank in the front garden and the bottom of it, the casing part, was left out the front.

'So left it there for about 5 days but somebody came from Rushcliffe Borough Council and said to one of my neighbours that it was being investigated for fly tipping.

'Given we live in a small village there can be a lot of hearsay around here so I took it with a grain of salt and thought that's a bit daft.

'I told them it is going to be moved in the next couple of days - I've pulled my back and I pulled my leg a couple of days ago - joys of being an older parent.

Ms Haywood has claimed that she did not have anybody that could help her carry the casing into her home

'But I just said I couldn't lift it right now.

'It's just ridiculous - there's no reason this should be a £400 fine.'

Ms Haywood has said that she is apprehensive about paying the fine and claimed that it has taken a toll on her mental wellbeing.

She added: 'This is causing significant mental health problems for me and I can't physically afford to pay this.

'I have a partner who doesn't live here so he hasn't been here to help me lift it.

'My dad is my mum's carer so he can't help - he's 70, so I just don't have that support around me.'

Rushcliffe Borough Council have claimed the fine has been administered partly due to the length of time that the casing was left outside.

The council have been clamping down on fly-tipping incidents in a bid to make their streets cleaner.

A Rushcliffe Borough Council spokesperson said: 'Waste Investigations Support & Enforcement (WISE) administered the penalty notice on behalf of the Council to the resident who had left the item on a grass verge and public land for at least five days.

'It followed a complaint by a member of the public and a previous request from the team to move the item. They have advised the resident to follow the appeals process as outlined on the notice, should they feel this is incorrect.

'Our action on fly-tipping has increased significantly in the Borough since the beginning of the year with the partnership clamping down on instances of domestic or commercial waste to make Rushcliffe streets even cleaner.'