Elderly man sitting in a car park gets slapped with a £250 fine, all because he spit out something the wind blew into his mouth

An 86-year-old man has been handed a £250 fine for spitting out a reed that was blown into his mouth by strong winds, prompting him to call on enforcement officers to use more common sense when issuing penalties.

According to the BBC, Roy Marsh says the incident took place in February in Skegness, Lincolnshire, while he was out walking and stopped to rest at the South Parade Car Park. According to Marsh, the weather conditions were rough, with powerful gusts sweeping through the area.

“As I was sitting there, a gale blew a big reed straight into my mouth,” he explained. “It caught me completely off guard. I spat it out instinctively, and just as I got up to walk away, two guys came up to me.”

Heavy-handed enforcement is driving people away from Skegness

The two men identified themselves as enforcement officers and told Marsh they had seen him spit on the ground. Despite his explanation that the action was not deliberate and was caused by the wind, Marsh says he was still issued with a £250 fixed penalty notice.

Marsh, who described the experience as upsetting and unfair, believes the situation could have been handled very differently. He argues that the circumstances were obvious and that a warning or brief conversation would have been far more appropriate than a fine.

Now, he is urging enforcement teams to show greater discretion, particularly when dealing with elderly members of the public and situations that clearly lack intent. “There has to be some common sense,” he said, adding that rules should be applied with judgement, not rigidly enforced without regard for the facts.

Marsh told the officer he was being a “silly boy” and called the whole situation “unnecessary and all out of proportion.” The fine was later reduced to £150 on appeal, which Marsh paid.

Marsh isn’t the only person dealing with strict enforcement in the seaside town. County Councillor Adrian Findley has heard from several angry residents with similar stories. Just like how car owners face unexpected problems, residents are finding themselves hit with fines for situations beyond their control.

Findley, who represents Reform on the Lincolnshire County Council, said enforcement officers are “taking it too far.” Findley believes officers need to use better judgment when giving out fines. He pointed out that elderly people can’t chase trash down the road on windy days.

Officers should let people apologize and pick up accidents instead of immediately giving fines. This approach makes more sense than the rigid enforcement we’ve seen, similar to how self-driving cars still cause accidents despite having multiple cameras watching everything.

East Lindsey District Council (ELDC) said its enforcement teams only approach people who commit environmental crime offenses. The council stated that patrols are not aimed at any specific age group and are not discriminatory.

Councillor Martin Foster, who holds the portfolio for operational services, said the council tracks data on enforcement actions. This includes things like littering, fly-tipping, and dog-related offenses. Foster said the council’s goal is to change people’s behavior and stop environmental crimes so everyone can enjoy a clean and safe environment.