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UK Council Defends Fine After 86-Year-Old Penalized for Spitting Out Wind-Blown Leaf

The £250 penalty was cut to £150 on appeal, intensifying scrutiny of how littering rules are enforced.

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Overview

  • Roy Marsh, 86, says a reed blew into his mouth in Skegness’s South Parade Car Park and he instinctively spat it out before officers intervened.
  • Environmental enforcement officers issued a £250 fixed penalty for spitting, which is treated as an offence under local cleanliness regulations.
  • Marsh appealed, the fine was reduced to £150, and he paid the lower amount.
  • County councillor Adrian Findley called the response heavy-handed and urged discretion for apparent accidents to safeguard the seaside town’s reputation with visitors.
  • East Lindsey District Council said patrols act only on offences they witness and do not target any demographic, as wider media coverage drew parallels with similar fines elsewhere in the UK.