Rubbish Refunds

1.50.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 4th Oct 2004

Several local traders and voluntary groups were dismayed recently to receive additional invoices from the council's waste contractor for doing little more than sending them receipts for their rubbish.

Westbury Lib Dem spokesman, Cllr Duncan Hames, has called Cleanaway to account over their error.

Holt Councillor, Duncan Hames, who chairs the district council's external scrutiny meeting, asked Cleanaway to explain themselves at his meeting at the council recently.

"We were ass surprised to see these letters as the customers and asked the contractor what was going on. The letters were marked as invoices and alerted customers to the threat of very large fines. Many customers would have felt obliged to automatically pay the sum stated. At our meeting Cleanaway explained that west Wiltshire customers should not have received these invoices and apologised unreservedly for their mistake. They assured us that refunds will be made." explained Cllr Duncan Hames.

"The total value of these extra bills across the district was nearly £40,000. If people had ended up paying these bills it would have cost small businesses and voluntary organizations money they can't afford to lose." added Cllr Hames.

Customers who received the invoices have now had their accounts with Cleanaway credited with the sum due, and those who had responded and paid the invoice should receive refunds in full.