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Original poster

Is it me or is the council massively overreacting here?

103 replies

Thepeopleversuswork · 31/10/2025 16:51

So I have just had a bizarre run-in with my council waste services department which has made me wonder if I'm going mad or they are. I organised a local litter pick a few weeks ago. I contacted the council in advance to ask if I could borrow some litter pickers and they agreed, so I picked up a huge bag of them (far more than I needed, as it turned out), in a big bin bag. Possibly my mistake was not to have counted them, but they were pre-wrapped and I didn't know it was going to turn into such a big drama, so I didn't.

It turned out I only used one of the litter pickers in the pack from the council (I have two of my own and other people brought theirs) so I stuck it back into the pack and a few days later I brought the bag back to the council as requested. But I'm certain I only took one, which I put back and returned.

A few days later I had an email from a woman in waste management services ordering me "urgently" to return the missing litter pickers. There weren't any missing litter pickers, as far as I was concerned: there was the one I used, which went back into the bag and was returned. The woman said there were five missing. I reiterated that I certainly hadn't taken five as I hadn't needed them. I checked around my house to make sure some hadn't been mislaid but there were definitely none other than mine (which look different). So if there were any missing, they were definitely not in my house.

I thought that might be the end of it but she emailed again the next day telling me to come to the council offices "immediately" with the litter pickers (I said I was working in an office so that wasn't possible at the moment). I reiterated that I didn't have the litter pickers. She insisted that I did and asked me "what was I going to do about it?"

I replied that as a gesture of goodwill I was happy to pay for some replacement litter pickers and the council should feel free to invoice me for them (you can get a bag of 8 for £20 from Amazon so they're not hugely expensive). Radio silence then ensued.

Three or four weeks later she has just emailed me again today to insist that I "urgently" go to the council offices with the missing litter pickers. I reiterated again that I don't have them, that I'm happy to reimburse the council for the cost of the litter pickers but I can't leave my job in the middle of the working day to be summoned by the council waste services department. She's just sent a follow-up saying "Please come to XXX today with the missing litter pickers or there will be serious consequences."

Am I being naive or is this completely over the top? The drama and the borderline harassment over something so trivial in the scheme of things councils have to deal with, and the suggestion that I'm a thief just feels really aggressive. I know councils are very cash-strapped and people do take the mick so maybe I'm naive, it just seems a wildly disproportionate response.

OP posts:
MumChp · 31/10/2025 16:54

You shouldn't have offered to replace them.

Original poster
Thepeopleversuswork · 31/10/2025 16:56

MumChp · 31/10/2025 16:54

You shouldn't have offered to replace them.

Maybe not, no. I intended it as a gesture of goodwill. Possibly I was naive.

OP posts:
Luxio · 31/10/2025 16:56

Why did you offer to replace them as a gesture of goodwill if you didn't misplace them, that's probably led them to the assumption that you're lying about having them.

GetOffTheRoof · 31/10/2025 16:57

I'd ask to speak to her boss and ask why she isn't answering your questions and offers to make good.

MumChp · 31/10/2025 16:57

Thepeopleversuswork · 31/10/2025 16:56

Maybe not, no. I intended it as a gesture of goodwill. Possibly I was naive.

Show quote history

Goodwill will land you in a mess I am afraid.

Ffion56 · 31/10/2025 16:58

I wouldn’t have offered to pay, I’d be concerned that it might look like I’d actually lost them. You’re not being unreasonable though, they’re being totally over the top. They should charge a deposit and have a clear system for lending if they’re going to be so pernickety. They have no proof that they lent them to you so I don’t think they can do anything official in terms of fining you.

dullgreysky · 31/10/2025 16:58

I'd be inclined to reply saying that you don't have them and if by 'serious consequences', they mean that they will call the police or take you to the small claims court, they should go ahead. I'm sure they would be laughed out of court.

Original poster
Thepeopleversuswork · 31/10/2025 16:59

Luxio · 31/10/2025 16:56

Why did you offer to replace them as a gesture of goodwill if you didn't misplace them, that's probably led them to the assumption that you're lying about having them.

Well it's done now. Maybe that was a mistake. I explained several times over email why I knew I couldn't have misplaced them and she just kept saying "please replace them" as if she hadn't heard what I was saying.

I still think their approach has been unnecessarily aggressive and inappropriate. If I'd really wanted to nick them I wouldn't have engaged in this back and forth over email with her.

OP posts:
Butchyrestingface · 31/10/2025 17:00

You offering to replace the items you claim you don’t have as a “goodwill gesture” will have been read as an admission of guilt,

This was a foolish thing to do, sorry.

Original poster
Thepeopleversuswork · 31/10/2025 17:01

Butchyrestingface · 31/10/2025 17:00

You offering to replace the items you claim you don’t have as a “goodwill gesture” will have been read as an admission of guilt,

This was a foolish thing to do, sorry.

Yep, fair. I've said so to the previous posters. Lesson learned.

OP posts:
2024onwardsandup · 31/10/2025 17:02

Sounds like someone mucked up and shouldn’t have leant them out and/or lost them themselves

or is selling them on Amazon…

FKAT · 31/10/2025 17:03

Our council just give groups the litter pickers - they don't lend them - that's a bizarre policy. (And trust me this council is neither overly generous nor well resourced).

Mum2twoandacockapoo · 31/10/2025 17:04

Well looks like you won’t be doing their job for them again and they can pay people to go litter picking !
no wonder the councils in this country are in such a mess when they have the time to chase up 5 missing litter pickers I think they have much much bigger problems to spend their time looking at !!!

I bet she needed a break after answering your emails and will probably go off on sick with stress !!

Original poster
Thepeopleversuswork · 31/10/2025 17:05

The whole thing just seems ridiculously petty and incompetent, to be honest. As I say, I know councils are desperately broke but these things are very cheap and I can't believe have any real resale value. There are far more remunerative things to steal from councils.

Plus if they are that keen to make sure they don't get nicked they possibly shouldn't be lending them out in the first place.

OP posts:
CatsorDogsrule · 31/10/2025 17:05

If you are willing to replace them, why not replace them instead of telling her to do all of the work involved? I can imagine it will involve various departments, purchase orders, sign offs, creating a way to bill you, then processing your payment. If it's that easy for you, just buy them from Amazon and take to the offices for her attention. Or have them delivered directly to her, if that's an option.

toomanydicksonthedancefloor1 · 31/10/2025 17:05

Well personally I think this is absolutely ridiculous and I am now thoroughly invested. I think this could get interesting and I need to know what the 'serious consequences' will be. So definitely don't go and then please report back and tell us what happens next. But yes the council have massively overreacted!

Original poster
Thepeopleversuswork · 31/10/2025 17:06

Mum2twoandacockapoo · 31/10/2025 17:04

Well looks like you won’t be doing their job for them again and they can pay people to go litter picking !
no wonder the councils in this country are in such a mess when they have the time to chase up 5 missing litter pickers I think they have much much bigger problems to spend their time looking at !!!

I bet she needed a break after answering your emails and will probably go off on sick with stress !!

Edited

This did cross my mind to be honest. No good deed goes unpunished etc.

OP posts:
PinkNeonSign · 31/10/2025 17:06

I’m surprised she had time to chase this for pennies worth of equipment, and to get into ongoing dialogue is ridiculous. I’m a middle manager in a Council and I’d be annoyed if she was one of my staff. They should have a proper system for lending this stuff out, if they haven’t, more fool them.

I’d ignore any further correspondence or if you want to pursue it, go through the complaints procedure.

Iheartlibrarians · 31/10/2025 17:07

Forward the exchange to your councillors with the same summary you've put here, @Thepeopleversuswork.

They will be (or should be) mortified to see an officer speak to you like that.

Original poster
Thepeopleversuswork · 31/10/2025 17:08

CatsorDogsrule · 31/10/2025 17:05

If you are willing to replace them, why not replace them instead of telling her to do all of the work involved? I can imagine it will involve various departments, purchase orders, sign offs, creating a way to bill you, then processing your payment. If it's that easy for you, just buy them from Amazon and take to the offices for her attention. Or have them delivered directly to her, if that's an option.

Why should I replace them though? I didn't lose them in the first place.

To be totally honest I don't see why the council can't spend £20 on replacing them and take it out of my council tax.

If she hadn't emailed me multiple times over the past month I wouldn't have offered (and yes that was probably a mistake). I don't mind paying £20 to ease her load but I'm not running around replacing litter pickers for the council.

OP posts:
softlyfallsthesnow · 31/10/2025 17:09

Don't engage with her further. Find someone much more senior, preferably with a brain, point out you were doing the council a favour by picking up the litter that they're probably responsible for, and you don't appreciate being harassed for doing a good deed!

She's obviously a jobsworth with not enough to do.

Mum2twoandacockapoo · 31/10/2025 17:10

Thepeopleversuswork · 31/10/2025 17:08

Why should I replace them though? I didn't lose them in the first place.

To be totally honest I don't see why the council can't spend £20 on replacing them and take it out of my council tax.

If she hadn't emailed me multiple times over the past month I wouldn't have offered (and yes that was probably a mistake). I don't mind paying £20 to ease her load but I'm not running around replacing litter pickers for the council.

Show quote history

She sounds rude and like the power has gone to her head . You don’t speak to people who pay your wages in this way !!
I would be complaining about her emails …

DiscoBob · 31/10/2025 17:10

I'd reply saying 'I haven't got five extra litter pickers and frankly I'm regretting bothering to do such a good deed if this is the way you are communicating with me. I will not discuss the matter further.'

Interpretzel · 31/10/2025 17:12

Unfortunately, I think a lot of people in these jobs are simply not that bright. They have not taken time to read your emails or understand what you were saying. Very frustrating.

CatsorDogsrule · 31/10/2025 17:16

Thepeopleversuswork · 31/10/2025 17:08

Why should I replace them though? I didn't lose them in the first place.

To be totally honest I don't see why the council can't spend £20 on replacing them and take it out of my council tax.

If she hadn't emailed me multiple times over the past month I wouldn't have offered (and yes that was probably a mistake). I don't mind paying £20 to ease her load but I'm not running around replacing litter pickers for the council.

Show quote history

You offered to replace them, not me.