86yo man given ridiculous fine for littering after spitting out a leaf that blew into his mouth

A grandfather from the U.K. has found himself on the wrong side of the law after spitting out a leaf! You read that right, 86-year-old Roy Marsh claims that he was fined £150 after a leaf blew into his mouth and he spat it out.

Marsh had been walking near a boating lake in Skegness when he was seen by council enforcement officers spitting out a leaf that had blown into his mouth. He was then approached by the officers who proceeded to give him a £250 (roughly $330) fine, although it was later reduced to £150 (roughly $200).

The fine given to Marsh was for littering. Fines such as this are pretty normal in the U.K., although every now and then enforcement officers take it too far. However, they do serve as a deterrent to prevent people leaving trash on the ground. Of course, in this case it seems a tad extreme to fine for a literal leaf.

The interaction left Marsh feeling “shook up”

Speaking about the fine, Marsh’s daughter, Jane Fitzpatrick, claimed that it was “heartbreaking” and a “total disgrace” that Roy should have been given a fine. “He’s a sweet old guy,” she said, “He wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

Fitzpatrick also described the effect that the whole ordeal had had on her elderly father. His interaction with the officers shook him up and left him hesitant to go for his usual walks “because he was really upset by it.” He apparently believed that the officers were joking at first, but once he realized they were serious he showed them his I.D.

Is the local council picking on the elderly?

While Roy Marsh paid the £150 to avoid the matter being taken to court, his daughter has since demanded that her father be reimbursed. She stated that a local councillor had received 66 complaints all from elderly and vulnerable residents. 

In a Facebook post she claimed that the council was intentionally targeting elderly residents because they were less likely to challenge the enforcement officers, “they know that those groups won’t argue.” Her wild accusations have certainly caught the nation’s attention although so far it doesn’t seem she’s received a response from the authorities.

Netizens online sympathized with Roy’s situation but most were shocked by how draconian-sounding the laws in the U.K. can be. “This country has lost the plot,” wrote one surprised individual on X. “Things like these make me SO mad…” added another. The response from the officers does seem a tad over the top, especially considering the fact that the leaf would have inevitably ended up on the ground anyway.