Cherie Blair's stepmother admits taking neighbour's bin

Stephanie Booth was caught on CCTV loading the £10 sand bin into her car before disposing of it at the local tip

Stephanie Booth was caught on her neighbour’s CCTV loading his bin into her car to take it to the dump (PA)

Cherie Blair’s stepmother has pleaded guilty to taking and dumping her neighbour’s bin after a long-standing dispute.

Stephanie Booth, 60, who is the Mayor of Todmorden in West Yorkshire, was caught on CCTV loading the £10 sand bin into her car before disposing of it at the local tip.

Leeds Magistrates’ Court heard that Booth and David Morgan, who live in Todmorden, have been arguing about land boundaries for four years. Things came to a head when Booth – fourth wife of Ms Blair’s father, Tony Booth – was caught on Mr Morgan’s CCTV. Mr Morgan told the court that problems began after Ms Booth built an extension; its outlet pipe overhung his two bins. He refused to move them, saying they were on his property, but Ms Booth continued to move the bins because she said they were damaging her pipe.

Mrs Booth denied the offence in December and the matter was listed for trial. But after hearing evidence for almost an hour-and-a-half, she pleaded guilty. She was given an absolute discharge by the district judge. It will not affect her position as councillor or mayor and there was no order to pay the £620 prosecution costs.

Press Association