86-year-old fined $335 for littering — after spitting out leaf that blew into his mouth
The whole ordeal left him feeling decidedly uncomfortable. An 86‑year‑old man from England was handed a £250 ($335) fine for littering after two officers spotted him spit out a leaf that had landed in his mouth.
Roy Marsh paused on a walk through a parking lot in the seaside town of Skegness on England’s east coast when a gust of wind threw a “big reed” into his mouth, he told the BBC.
“I spat it out, and just as I was about to walk away, two [enforcement officers] approached me,” Marsh said.
He was stunned when the officers told him he’d “spitted on the ground,” to which he retorted by calling one of them a “silly boy.”
Realising the seriousness of the situation, Marsh was hit with a £250 fine. “It was all unnecessary and all out of proportion,” he told the BBC.
He said he expected the fine to drop to £150 ($200) after an appeal, but the full amount was still due.
County councillor Adrian Findley said the case was one of many where officers were “heavy‑handed” in a town that relies on tourists.
“They’re taking it too far,” he told the outlet.
“If I came here on holiday and was given a £250 fine, I wouldn’t want to risk coming back,” Findley added.
“There needs to be discretion,” he insisted. “We can’t expect elderly people to chase crisp packets down the road if it’s windy.”
Findley argued that officers should assess whether an act is a “genuine accident” before imposing steep penalties or, at least, allow people to apologise and correct the mistake.
East Lindsey District Council told the BBC that officers only approach people who are seen committing environmental offences. They said patrols are monitored, not aimed at any specific group, and are “not discriminatory.”
Marsh’s situation is far from unique in the UK.
In October, a woman in London was fined £150 ($200) for splashing a little coffee into a storm drain before boarding a bus.
Burcu Yesilyurt explained she poured “just a tiny little bit” from her reusable cup to prevent a spill.
“Right after I turned, I saw three enforcement officers chase me, and they stopped me immediately,” she told the BBC, noting the experience left her feeling “shaky.”
“It was quite a shock,” she said.
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