New Delhi: UK based news publication Harrow Online has reported that two Indian-origin men were hit with massive fines of 1,391 pounds each by authorities in the London borough of Brent for spitting paan juice in public. The move comes as part of the city council’s recent campaign against paan-spitting that officials say is defacing public spaces and straining civic resources.
Authorities impose massive fines
According to the publication, the penalties were imposed after both men failed to pay initial on-the-spot fines of 100 pounds. This subsequently led to legal action that significantly increased the financial punishment. The case is a part of what officials call the borough’s “zero-tolerance” policy towards this persistent and costly practice.
According to the report, Akshitkumar Bhadre Patel, a resident of the town of Edgware, was fined by the North West London Magistrates’ Court for spitting paan on Kingsbury Road near a local metro station in June 2025. Patel did not attend his court hearing and the case was decided in his absence. His failure to settle the original fine resulted in the penalty escalating more than tenfold.
Harrow Online reported Councillor Krupa Sheth, Cabinet Member for Public Realm and Enforcement has said that the administration is determined to hold such offenders accountable. “We’re continuing our zero-tolerance approach to those who ruin our streets, that includes spitters of paan who stain street furniture,” she said.
“Every fine we dish out is a clear statement to offenders: if you mess up our streets, we will find you and you will pay. That is why I am delighted that we have doubled the amount of fines that we have handed out in the last year,” she further added.
These enforcement drives come amidst growing concern over paan-spitting across parts of north-west London, including Brent and neighbouring Harrow. Brent Council, as reported by the BBC, spends more than 30,000 pounds a year cleaning paan stains from pavements and buildings.