A FURIOUS resident has revealed he was hit with a £400 fly-tipping fine after leaving a cabinet outside his home for "40 minutes".

Paul Vale was summoned to Basildon Magistrates’ Court after refusing to pay the fine, which was originally dished out in February last year.

However, Paul was celebrating yesterday evening after saying the judge chose to fine him “just £5” after he pleaded guilty to the offence.

Basildon Council declined to comment due to the “ongoing legal case”, but Paul says he was given a minimal fine after the judge said it was a “ridiculous circumstance and a mistake”.

Paul claims he placed the cabinet outside his home, in Drake Road, for 40 minutes before it was picked up by a scrap collector.

Now, after 18 months of anxiety, Paul says he has had “the weight of the world” lifted.

He said: “They have thrown it out of court. I should have been given a warning more than a £400 fine. It was affecting me mentally and I suffer with bipolar, so it has caused me not to sleep and to worry about those costs.

“I didn’t want to plead guilty; I was expecting someone to come and collect the cabinet, that was the point. And I was told in court that it wasn’t in the public interest for me to be fined so heavily.”

According to Paul, a Basildon Council officer on patrol knocked on his door and told him to move the cupboard as it was on the pavement.

He admits he told them it was to be collected and “slammed the door”.

According to the fine, which the Echo has seen, Paul was told to pay £250 inside two weeks, or £400 if he missed the reduced fee period.

He added: “I was advised by the duty solicitor to plead guilty, even though I thought I was not guilty of anything beyond being stupid.

“I didn’t do this on purpose and I knew it was going to be taken away just 40 minutes later. They have jumped to a conclusion and tried to make a scapegoat of me.”

Mr Vale said the worry was “playing on my mind constantly.”