A PENSIONER who believes she fell victim to conman who offered to clear waste from her garden is being prosecuted by Waltham Forest Council after the rubbish was found dumped.

Rosetta Maynard paid a man claiming to be from a disposal company £60 after he visited her house and offered to clear waste from her garden.

But the rubbish was found dumped near Folly Lane, Walthamstow, and the 82-year-old is now being prosecuted by Waltham Forest Council for failing to check the man had a licence to dispose of waste.

She has received a court summons and faces having to pay a minimum of £600 costs and any fine the court imposes.

Mrs Maynard, who lives in Edmonton, said: “I feel horrible. You don't ask people to to take your rubbish away and think you are going to get fined.

“I've only got my pension and don't know how I will afford this.”

Mrs Maynard was approached by the conman in January this year.

He produced a card from Oakmore Services, saying he had been working in the area and noticed the waste in her garden.

The card stated the firm was based in Peacocks Close, near to Folly Lane.

She said the waste amounted to a few items of packaging and a couple of rubble sacks which were left from a recent bathroom refit.

Officers from the council found the fly-tipped waste and traced it back to Mrs Maynard, as her name and address were on the packaging.

She received a visit from a council officer in February, who interviewed her under caution and showed her photographs of the dumped waste.

Mrs Maynard then received the summons earlier this week, asking her to attend court next month.

Her granddaughter Katie Maynard, who lives with her grandmother, said: “My gran thought she had done all she could to help the council catch the people who dumped the waste.

“We are just shocked that this summons has arrived.”

The law on fly-tipping states an individual can be fined up to £5,000 if they do not check the person they give waste to has a licence to carry waste.

The Guardian has tried to contact the number given on the card for Oakmore Services, but it is unavailable.

The Guardian is awaiting a comment from the council.