A mother was fined £150 for dropping a kale leaf in a trolley while collecting food for vulnerable people. Monica Serro, 42, was loading her Olio food collection in Sainsbury's car park in Arnold, Nottingham, when an enforcement officer claimed she was littering.
She had spent the day collecting much-needed food parcels from local supermarkets, which she then offers for free from her home to those in need. The welfare officer had just taken her trolley back when a large kale leaf had become wedged between the metal frame on Thursday, June 11.
An enforcement officer working for Gedling Borough Council confronted her about the loose kale, claiming the leaf was food waste, and handed Monica a £150 fine. The mum-of-one said: “I was collecting waste foods from supermarkets with the plan being that people then come and collect the food from my house. As a volunteer we collect the food and pass it on for free to the community.”
She continued: “I went with my mum and the workers showed up with a big trolley full of food. They didn’t provide us with any bags, and it was full of veg and bread. It was raining and I was putting it in my mum's car without bags. I put the trolley back in the bay. As I returned an officer from the council was there and he walked up to us and said, ‘you know you just littered, you left a wrapping paper in the trolley’.”
Monica showed him it was a kale leaf, but he said it was food waste and told her to use a bin next time. 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.”
Monica immediately contacted the council, which eventually cancelled the fine on June 13 after several emails. She said the officer had written a different address on the fine and cited throwing a cigarette butt, not the kale leaf. She disputed the fine and asked them to look at bodycam footage. The council said there was a technical issue with the footage and that she didn’t have to pay.
Monica said: “When he saw it was a kale leaf, he had to stand his ground. He was a young lad so I don’t know if he’s doing it for the first time. I’ve never heard of anyone being fined £150 for a kale leaf. I think he was fishing for tickets.”
The council apologised for the blunder, citing a technical error. In an email, the council complaints team said: “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 apologise 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.”
