A COMMUNITY champion who carries out regular rubbish removals to keep her village clean has been banned from using her local tip due to making too many visits.

Maria Revell, 59, of Jaywick, frequently helps her fellow residents in the Brooklands and Grasslands areas by repairing and tidying their properties.

The kind-hearted and generous Samaritan doe not charge those she helps and is revered among the local community for work she does to keep Jaywick tidy.

However, due to the volume of waste she clears from the village, Maria has to make regular trips to the Clacton and Kirby-le-Soken Recycling Centre.

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Her constant visits have now reportedly caught the attention of Essex County Council bosses, who are said to have now banned her from all tips because of excessive use.

Maria, who battles fibromyalgia which causes her chronic muscle pain, said: “I was using the tips to help people in Jaywick.

“At Christmas I collected 150 bags of rubbish and then I was told I could only have two more runs, which I kept to.

“I then took my own waste to the tip and the manager threw a bit of paper at me and said I was banned - I then got an email saying I was banned – I’m disgusted.”

Dan Casey, Tendring councillor for West Clacton and Jaywick Sands, has now thrown his support being Maria and called on Essex County Council to resolve the dispute

He added: “Maria helps a lot of people but now the dump is not being very helpful and she is having lots of problems.

“When the council do clean ups it costs thousands to clear, yet this lady and her team are doing it off their own back, so she is saving the council lots of money.

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“I have spoken to councillor Michael Talbot, who is responsible for environment, and he has spoken to Essex County Council, but still, they are not helping.”

A spokesman for Essex County Council said: “Essex County Council is committed to working with Tendring District Council to identify a waste collection and disposal approach that will support Maria’s community activities and will speak with local members and officers to establish the best long-term solution. 

“Essex County Council supports the activities of local councils and individuals who are working to tackle littering and fly tipping in Essex, and continues to work with partners to take enforcement action where appropriate.”