Email from the father,
"I hope you and xxxxx can get this sorted out. It's so unfair the way we are being treated. France should not do this. We have always done things right there like putting our rubbish out etc. My wife is very upset and does not understand it all."

I replied to say yes as neighbours we always appreciated their commitment to good dustbin etiquette and I would be sure to remind the Mayor of that in the meeting.

He wrote back with a smiling face emoji and a thumbs up.

I texted our Mayor with their comments on putting their bins out. He replied,

"l'élimination des déchets est importante"

Maybe this will be the clincher ?

Update. His Eurostar train was cancelled but he never checked so when he turned up at St Pancras there was a row and he's now been thrown out of the station. He said "them in Brussels" cancelled the train on purpose to stop him coming over.

He's also lost his shoes.

He has a new ticket for a later train.