A retired teacher from Northumberland has been hit with a £100 littering fine for an offence allegedly committed in Nottingham – despite being over 250 miles away in France at the time.
The Impossible Offence
Ray Weatherburn, 76, was enjoying a holiday breakfast with his wife in France on August 13 when, according to Nottingham City Council, someone in a silver Vauxhall Corsa with his registration number tossed a cigarette butt onto Farnborough Road in Clifton. The former geography teacher and British champion 800m runner received a fixed penalty notice on September 9, accusing him of the littering crime.
"I've never smoked in my life," stated Mr Weatherburn, who lives in Berwick-upon-Tweed. He pointed out the glaring discrepancy: his vehicle was immobilised at his home in Northumberland, approximately 200 miles north of Nottingham, on the day in question. The location of the alleged offence and his proven whereabouts were separated by the English Channel.
A Cascade of Confusion and Concern
The situation escalated when a second letter arrived a fortnight later, threatening court action over the unpaid fine. Alarmingly, it was addressed to a complete stranger, triggering fears of identity fraud for Mr Weatherburn. "It worried me about ID fraud as there was someone else linked to my address and car," he explained.
After he provided compelling evidence, including passport stamps and petrol receipts proving he was in France, the council dismissed the case. However, the ordeal was not over. A week later, a third letter arrived inviting him to join the Immediate Justice scheme, where offenders do community work instead of going to court.
The council later apologised for the "inconvenience" and blamed the third letter on a technical error. Yet, they have offered no explanation for why he was fined in the first place. The only theory suggested to Mr Weatherburn, reportedly by police, is that his car registration plates may have been cloned.
Frustration and Unanswered Questions
"Nottingham City Council are absolutely appalling," said Mr Weatherburn. "If someone said there was a big mistake I would appreciate that but no-one has offered an explanation. It's very frustrating. I still don't know if someone's driving around with my number plate cloned. It's all very, very confusing and I can't get any explanation out of them. It causes sleepless nights and anxieties."
The case raises serious questions about the verification processes behind automated penalty notices. Nottingham City Council has stated it does not comment on individual fixed penalty notice cases, leaving a retired teacher to deal with the stress of a mistaken fine and the lingering fear that his identity is being misused.
