Litter police fined man ‘for spitting out leaf’
Man fined £250 for spitting out leaf that ‘blew in his mouth’
- An 86-year-old man, Roy Marsh, was fined £150 after spitting out a leaf that blew into his mouth in Skegness.
- Enforcement officers from East Lindsey District Council deemed the act of spitting the leaf as littering, initially issuing a £250 fine which was later reduced on appeal.
- Mr Marsh criticised the officers' actions as 'unnecessary' and 'out of proportion', explaining he was simply removing a reed that had blown into his mouth.
- County councillor Adrian Findley reported receiving numerous complaints about similar 'heavy-handed' incidents by enforcement officers in the area.
- East Lindsey District Council stated that officers only approach individuals committing environmental crime offences, including spitting, and that their practices are monitored for compliance and non-discrimination.