Grandad, 86, is fined £250 by litter warden for spitting out a leaf while out in Skegness

ROY WAS TAKING A STROLL ON A BLUSTERY DAY WHEN A LEAF BLEW INTO HIS MOUTH AND ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS SWOOPED

- By LAUREN HAUGHEY

A PENSIONER was hit with a £250 fine by litter wardens for spitting out a leaf that had blown into his mouth.

Roy Marsh, 86, received the penalty notice while taking a stroll in Skegness, Lincolnshire, earlier this year.

He explained that he had stopped for a rest in a car park near some reeds on a blustery day when the leaf blew into his mouth, prompting him to spit it out.

Mr Marsh was then confronted by two enforcement officers from East Lindsey District Council and issued the £250 fine, which was later reduced to £150 upon appeal.

The grandfather-of-two said: "It was something that could have happened to anyone. It’s left me anxious about going out."

Given his experience, Mr Marsh now hopes lessons will be learned so that others do not endure the same ordeal.

"We walk there every day. But incidents like this make you nervous to go out," he added.

Unfortunately, Mr Marsh claimed that he encountered a similar issue weeks later while walking around the boating lake.

He had taken a tissue from his pocket and tucked it into his glove before being accused of dropping it.

A social media post from his daughter, Jane Marsh Fitzpatrick, sparked a wave of similar stories from local residents.