An 85-year-old litter picker is outraged after being fined for littering after leaving his walking stick on a roadside – while out on a litter pick.
Furious Alan Davies was “shocked, angry and upset” to be fined by Walsall Council when he forgot his walking stick in Aldridge, West Midlands on September 6.
However, after a backlash, the council confirmed they would be rescinding the fine.
Alan and his friends had been on their daily litter pick along Longwood Lane and Hayhead Wood.
The grandad then says he drove off – forgetting to pick up his walking stick and a bag with his cushion inside, which he had set by the roadside.
Alan claims Walsall Council tracked him down after trawling through CCTV images from a camera. He says council officers found his address by using his car’s number plate and sent him the fine last week.
The former builder said: “Why would I leave my walking stick there on purpose. I want it back, but I cannot speak to anyone human about the fine.”
“I need my walking stick, they have taken the trouble to track me down – and after all I’ve done for the area, they could have given me my walking stick back. They have tried to bankrupt me.”
Alan’s friends and fellow litter pickers have tried in vain to talk to someone at Walsall Council about the fine but they keep being told to email their complaint.
Alan’s fellow walker and litter picker John said: “They are non-negotiable. They will not listen. Or talk to you over phone.”
“They need to prove intent and there is none – he drove off by mistake.”
The letter, from Walsall Council’s Community Protection Department, says “If payment is not received proceedings maybe taken against you where you maybe liable to a fine of up to a maximum of £2500.”
Included in the letter are two CCTV images – one showing Alan and John walking towards their car, and then another ten minutes later showing the walking stick and cushion on the floor.
John said: “There is a ten-minute gap between the pictures. They obviously could not be bothered to look at the picture of film which shows him driving off and forgetting the stick and bag with his cushion in, surely they have to prove some kind of intent.
“Instead it is like trying to talk to a brick wall.”
Every morning before most people have had their breakfast Alan and his friends walk round Aldridge cleaning up rubbish left by inconsiderate litter bugs as they go with Alan usually taking his cushion to sit down halfway through to have a coffee.
The widower said: “Beer cans, takeaway rubbish you name it we pick it up. We even fixed the benches in the park in our own time and with our own money.”
Alan’s neighbour Ann said: “£150 is a lot of money for a pensioner. You cannot speak to the council on phone it has to be email, not everyone has the internet. Hopefully when people realise what Alan is being put through the council will back down.”
A spokesperson from Walsall said: “We recognise the specific circumstances around this incident and would like to apologise profusely to Mr Davies.
“We can confirm that the fixed penalty notice has been rescinded after a further review of CCTV footage. Walsall Council respects and values the work and commitment of all our litter-picking volunteers. They play a key role in our defence against fly-tipping and littering. The location in question, Longwood Lane and Hayhead Wood is a hot spot for fly-tipping and the CCTV camera was put in place after complaints from the local community.
“Fly-tipping and littering is a major problem in Walsall and remains a priority for the council.”
