by Nicola Jordan

Beautician Omobolanu Lawson has been landed with an ugly £1,600 bill after taking her trade rubbish home with her.

Mrs Lawson, who runs the Classique Salon in Canterbury Street, Gillingham, is now appealing the punishment - originally imposed for not having a trader's licence for refuse disposal.

Most weeks, the salon generates less than a sackful of rubbish and in others none at all.

So the mum of two had been taking it back to her home in Minster, Sheppey, and putting it out for collection with the rest of her domestic refuse.

But the rules state business premises must have a separate contract with waste firm Biffa.

Mrs Lawson, who was convicted at Medway Magistrates' Court for not having the right trade waste agreement, was fined £600 and ordered to pay £1,050 costs. This follows her refusal to pay a fixed penalty notice.

The case came to court after Medway Council received a complaint in July last year about rubbish collection arrangements of some businesses in Canterbury Street.

Mrs Lawson was questioned and admitted she had no agreement in place for her trade waste to be taken away.

Councils have a legal duty to take away domestic waste from homes, but it is the responsibility of businesses to make their own arrangements and they must have documentation.

"i have always played by the law and had no idea i was doing anything wrong. i innocently said i took my rubbish home…” – omobolanu lawson

During the interview, Mrs Lawson admitted taking the rubbish home and putting it out with her household waste.

She was issued with a notice and given 14 days to get the necessary paperwork in place.

But when officers returned on July 26 last year, Mrs Lawson was unable to produce documents.

The next day, her 44-year-old husband Tom Lawson, a university lecturer, who is also a director of the company, showed the council an agreement with Biffa to collect trade waste - but it turned out only to be a quote.

Mr Lawson was advised of this and on another visit officers again asked to see the official agreement.

When this did not happen, Mrs Lawson was issued with a fixed penalty notice, which she refused to pay.

In her defence, Mrs Lawson called her husband as a witness, who maintained that there was an agreement in place with Biffa dating from July 8.

However, he was not able to produce any evidence and during the court hearing at Medway Magistrates’ Court an email from Biffa dated August 2 last year was produced.

This clearly asked Mr Lawson for further information so that the firm could put this agreement into place.

Magistrates found Mrs Lawson guilty and as well as the fine ordered her to pay a £15 victim surcharge.

Mrs Lawson said: "I have always played by the law and had no idea I was doing anything wrong. I innocently said I took my rubbish home.

"We were given 14 days, but the day after we knew we had to have the licence my husband contacted Biffa. We would argue that we do have the right contract. I think we have been treated very unfairly."