Another bird-feeding 'criminal' gets collared
Last year, Big Brother Watch covered the story of Vanessa Kelly - a young mum who had taken her toddler to the park and been issued with a £75 fine for throwing bread to the ducks. We fought a successful campaign in the media that led to Sandwell Council overturning the fine and admitting their error.
Today we have been dismayed to learn of another bird-feeding incident that has led to an elderly woman being slapped with an £80 on-the-spot fine (from SWNS):
A woman was fined £80 for littering after wardens caught her throwing bread crumbs – to the birds. Heartless rubbish spies spotted the frail woman sprinkling bread over her garden railings onto the pavement for starlings.
Voluntary group St Peter’s Neighbourhood Monitoring started the campaign to catch litter louts last year.
Spies record residents who litter then post the footage onto You tube. Neighbours are then encouraged to name and shame those dropping litter.
Footage of people who litter is passed to the local authority who are then able to use it as evidence to issue fines.
There are any number of authoritarian crimes here - from Neighbourhood Monitoring groups dishing out justice; to spying on residents and illegal covert camera recording - but once again the real tragedy is the victim: a law-abiding elderly woman who has been fined most of her weekly pension for feeding the birds.
Big Brother Watch intends to help this woman if possible - if anyone has any information about this incident please do contact us.
By Dylan Sharpe
With the town and county council running short of money will they start fining people for feeding birds on the West Shore?
Not forgetting the increase in council tax that is coming next year. I wonder how much that will be?
We already have council (SS) officers who have the right to enter your home without a warrant or a police presence.
How long before we have more council (SS) officers giving out fines so the council can get the money to pay for their
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