A 42-year-old woman has been fined £150 for dropping a kale leaf in a trolley while collecting food for vulnerable people. Monica Serro was loading shopping into her car at a Sainsbury's car park in Arnold, Nottingham, when an enforcement officer accused her of littering.
Community Food Collection
Monica, a community-minded welfare officer, collects food parcels from local supermarkets and distributes them for free from her home to those in need. On the day of the incident, she had just returned her trolley when a large kale leaf got stuck on the metal frame on Thursday, June 11.
An enforcement officer working for Gedling Borough Council approached her, claiming the leaf was food waste, and issued a fixed penalty notice of £150.
Ridiculous Situation
Monica described the incident as ridiculous. She said: "The whole thing was ridiculous. You're trying to reduce food waste and then you get told you're adding to it. I didn't notice it was on the trolley. My mum told him I was a volunteer collecting food for the community. He said if I refused to provide my details he would increase the fine. I didn't want to argue anymore. My mum was getting really upset with the whole situation."
Monica immediately contacted the council, which eventually cancelled the fine on June 13 after several emails. She said the council sent an email confirming that footage showed a technical issue, so she didn't have to pay. However, she still believes the fine should never have been issued, calling the decision ridiculous.
Council Apologizes
The council has since apologized, citing a technical error. In an email, the complaints team stated: "I have reviewed the body camera footage and evidence surrounding your fixed penalty notice and apologise for the communication error with the title of the offence. This is due to a technical error, and I apologize for any distress this has caused. I have cancelled your fixed penalty notice on this occasion."
A spokesperson for Gedling Borough Council said: "We have investigated the incident and agree that it was not a deliberate act of littering. The fixed penalty notice issued by our contracted environmental enforcement agents was cancelled and the recipient was contacted on the 13th June to confirm this. We apologise for any distress caused."
Monica added: "I've never heard of anyone being fined £150 for a kale leaf. I think he was fishing for tickets... It will make me a bit paranoid in the future. I suffer from anxiety so I was anxious for the rest of the day."
