An English pensioner claims to be the victim of overzealous enforcement officers in his hometown of Skegness, in Lincolnshire, who fined him for allegedly spitting on the pavement, when he had actually spat out a tree leaf that was blown into his mouth by the wind. Despite trying to explain the incident to the officers, the pensioner claims they fined him £250 (later reduced to £150).
“As I was sitting there, a gale blew a big reed into my mouth. I spat it out and just as I got up to walk away, two guys [enforcement officers] came up to me,” Roy Marsh recalled. “It was all unnecessary and all out of proportion.”
The unusual story went viral after Marsh’s daughter, Jane Fitzpatrick, posted it on Facebook.
Recently, dad who has walking difficulties but does his best to walk every day around the boating lake, inhaled a small leaf that made him choke,” the woman wrote. “Dad has severe asthma and a heart condition, he managed to cough up the leaf and spit it out. (just the leaf). He was immediately approached by the local enforcement officer who was incredibly rude to him told him he had violated the law by spitting and fined him £160 !!! Dad tried to explain but the guy wouldn’t listen. Dad showed him the leaf and no spit but he still got fined £160 !!!!”
Roy Marsh is now calling for “responsible” litter enforcement and his story has already convinced many that enforcement officers may be a bit too heavy-handed.
County councillor Adrian Findley agreed that officers “are taking it too far,” adding that “if I came here on holiday and was given a £250 fine, I wouldn’t want to risk coming back.”
