Woman fined for leaving IKEA cabinet outside home

Nick's ESL News Lessons

A printable worksheet for news-based English conversation classes.

Date: 2024/09/24

Difficulty: Upper Intermediate B2

PDF: Woman fined for leaving IKEA cabinet outside home

Vocabulary Match

disposed •• law
enforcement •• thought
filming •• didn't know
unaware •• fighting
considered •• threw away
challenging •• recording

Vocabulary Answers

disposedthrew away
enforcementlaw
filmingrecording
unawaredidn't know
consideredthought
challengingfighting

Article

A woman from Bournemouth, Isabelle Pepin, was fined £500 for fly-tipping after leaving a cabinet outside her home for others to take. She told Sky News she was "really shocked" by the fine.

Pepin had placed the cabinet, which was from IKEA, against her front wall. After five days, a council officer told her there was a problem, so she moved it back onto her property and disposed of it.

Three weeks later, she received the fine. Pepin said, "I got a knock on the door from a man wearing an enforcement camera on his chest, telling me he is filming me." She explained that many people had been doing this for years, thinking it was a good way to recycle and help the community, unaware it could be considered fly-tipping.

She is now challenging the fine and has received support from the local community and councillors. She hopes the fine will be dropped.

Quiz

  1. Why was Isabelle Pepin fined?
  2. What did Pepin do with the cabinet after the council officer spoke to her?
  3. How long after moving the cabinet did Pepin receive the fine?
  4. Who is supporting Pepin in challenging the fine?

Quiz Answers (examples)

  1. She was fined for fly-tipping.
  2. She moved it back onto her property and disposed of it.
  3. Three weeks later.
  4. The local community and councillors are supporting her.

Conversation

A:I can't believe they fined me for fly-tipping.
B:Yeah, that's crazy. You were just trying to recycle!
A:Exactly! And I even got rid of the cabinet properly after they told me.
B:Hopefully, they'll drop the fine with all the support you're getting.
A:I really hope so. It's such a misunderstanding.
B:Just stay positive. The community is behind you.

Discussion

  1. Do you think Pepin will succeed in having her fine dropped?
  2. Have you ever left something outside for others to take?
  3. How do you usually recycle or get rid of old furniture?
  4. Have you ever been fined for anything?

Source Material

https://news.sky.com/story/woman-shocked-at-being-fined-500-for-fly-tipping-after-leaving-cabinet-outside-for-passers-by-to-take-13216379


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