DROP A BANKNOTE, GET FINED FOR LITTERING
The E-Sylum (6/14/2009)
Book Content
In the latest from the overzealous cop department, be sure to hold onto your money REALLY tight. -Editor
A SHOPPER who dropped a £10 note in the street by accident has been fined – for littering. Arthritis sufferer Stewart Smith was leaving a charity shop when the banknote fell from his hand, without him realising.
Stewart, 36, at first expressed his gratitude to the two officers who approached him to point out that the note had fallen to the ground.
But moments later, after recovering the note, he was stunned to be accused of littering and slapped with a £50 fixed-penalty notice.
It is thought the police were implementing a zero-tolerance approach to littering as part of a concerted effort to clean up their local area in Ayr.
But law and order campaigners last night slammed the move, describing it as petty and a waste of police resources.
Matthew Elliott, Chief Executive at the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said the action was a waste of police time and resources.
He said: “It’s bizarre that the police officers saw fit to fine a man for dropping money. It was clearly a mistake and they should show understanding.”
Conservative MP Philip Davies said: “This seems on the face of it to be a very petty action. This sounds like a case where common sense has been ignored.”
Strathclyde Police last night insisted Mr Smith had dropped several papers and ignored a warning to pick them up.
To read the complete article, see: FINED £50... FOR DROPPING A TENNER (http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/106719/Excuse-me-you-ve-dropped-a-tenner-that-ll-be-a-50-fine)