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Skegness Pensioner Fined for Spitting Out Leaf Fuels Scrutiny of Litter Enforcement

The council says officers act only on observed offences and that spitting counts as littering.

Overview

  • Roy Marsh, 86, was issued a £250 fixed-penalty in February after spitting out a leaf blown into his mouth in the South Parade car park in Skegness.
  • The penalty was reduced on appeal to £150, which he paid, and he says the encounter left him anxious about going out.
  • His daughter's Facebook post this week prompted numerous similar accounts from residents who allege heavy-handed treatment of older people.
  • County councillor Adrian (Ady) Findley says he has received many complaints and is urging officers to use discretion in apparent accidents.
  • East Lindsey District Council says patrols are not discriminatory, spitting is treated as littering, and teams only approach people seen committing environmental offences.