Widow faces Rs 2 lakh fine for dropping cigarette ash on pavement

Money smoked up in ashes

Widow faces Rs 2 lakh fine for dropping cigarette ash on pavement

Sheila Martin (70), was smoking at a bus stop when a warden pounced and handed her the ufffd75 ( Rs 5,500) fixed penalty for littering.

The cash-strapped gran refused to pay and has now been warned it could rise to ufffd2,500.

Unbelievable
Martin, from Oldbury, West Midlands, was hit with the original fine by the Sandwell Council warden after visiting her daughter on May 25 and was at the 446 bus in Bristnall Hall Road. She said, "I still can't believe what happened.

"I was sat at a bus stop quietly enjoying a cigarette and from nowhere a warden appeared and accused me of littering."

"I can't believe it, I was only smoking a cigarette. It is one of the few things I can afford to buy myself," she added.u00a0

Martin claims she was so shocked that she later suffered an asthma attack at home and was knocked unconscious for three hours after falling over.

She said, "I've always been a law-abiding person, so this was all a big shock to me and I just keeled over. I haven't been the same since and have only got by thanks to the help of my friends and neighbours. It feels like I am being victimised."

Martin had initially refused to pay the ufffd75 fixed penalty charge.

Pay up
But she has seven days to cough up or she will be summoned to court and could face a fine of up to ufffd2,500.
"It all seems so heavy handed," she said.

"I can't work out why the council would be so vindictive over such a petty matter. I'm so upset and angry."

High handedness
It is not the first time Sandwell Council has been accused of heavy handedness over littering.

The authority dished out 2,200 penalty fines last year, compared to just 336 in neighbouring Dudley.

Mum Vanessa Kelly (26), was threatened with a ufffd75 fine by Sandwell officials last year for feeding the ducks at a local park, while with toddler son Harry. The threat was later dropped after a public outcry.

And mum Kerrie-Anne Hickin was left dumbstruck when a warden fined her ufffd75 as she walked to collect her children from school.

Hickin (30), from West Bromwich, said a warden from Sandwell Council claimed he saw a tissue blow away in a gust of wind and then began reciting littering bylaws.

Speaking at the time she said, "I am totally disgusted by it all. It is absolutely ridiculous, petty and insane."

But Councillor Derek Rowley, Sandwell's Cabinet member for safer neighbourhoods, refused to be drawn on Martin's case.

He said, "We cannot comment on individual cases. In general terms, however, our wardens do not issue fixed penalty notices for dropping cigarette ash. They do for dropping cigarette butts, which are specifically classed as litter under the Environmental Protection Act."

"The council takes a dim view of littering because the people of Sandwell tell us they want clean streets," he added.

The letter sent to Martin from the council states, "As full payment has not been received, this matter has been referred to the prosecution team for consideration."

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