In the UK, an 86-year-old man was fined £250 for spitting in a public place. According to him, a leaf was blown into his mouth by the wind. After an appeal he had to pay a fine of £150.
GiveWell, piling up garbage in public places has become our habit. But, not all countries of the world are like this. Many countries pay a lot of attention to keeping public places clean. Those who throw garbage on the streets have to face strict legal action and fines in such countries. When a similar incident came to light from Skegness in Lincolnshire, UK, it was strongly criticized by the local people. The only crime of an 86 year old man was that he spit in a public place a leaf that came in his mouth after being blown by the wind. And for this he had to pay a heavy fine!
Fine imposed on 86 year old man!
Roy Marsh, an 86-year-old man, was walking in Skegness. Meanwhile, a leaf blown by the wind accidentally entered his mouth. Obviously, he felt strange and immediately spit out the leaf. But that leaf fell in a public place. Soon after, city officials fined Roy Marsh £250! That means around Rs 30,229! Roy also has difficulty walking on his own and always uses a walking stick. Not only this, he also has severe asthma and heart diseases. He tried to explain to the officers that while he was walking on the road, the leaf had come into his mouth due to the wind and he simply coughed it out. However, the enforcement officers present there spoke to Roy Marsh and believed that he spat on the ground intentionally. At the same time, he also made it clear that this is a crime under the environmental laws of the area.
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strict action against crime
However, when Marsh appealed against the fine, the sum of £250 was reduced to £150. Ultimately, according to reports he had to pay a fine of 150 pounds (Rs 18,137). Many people, including local people, criticized this action of the authorities, saying that it was not a wise move at all. A councilor also clarified that such complaints had been received against officials earlier also. But East Lindsey District Council, which oversees law enforcement teams in Skegness, has defended the incident. The council said that if officers witness crimes involving polluting the environment, they will take strict action and monitoring arrangements have been put in place to ensure that actions are fair.