Pensioner scared after three litter wardens stop and fine her for dropping a cigarette butt outside Aldi in Milton Keynes

A 75-year-old woman felt “intimidated and scared’” after being flagged down by three litter wardens for dropping a cigarette butt in MK.

The pensioner was finishing a cigarette while waiting for a taxi outside Aldi in Bletchley last week.

"There was nowhere to dispose of her cigarette end so she dropped it and then got into the cab,” said her son.

"The driver was about to pull away when it was stopped by three enforcement officers who proceeded to give my mum a fine. She was not given any chance to pick up the butt and says she was made to feel intimidated into giving her details.”

The fine was for a whopping £125, reduced to £80 if she paid within 14 days

“My mother lives on her state pension. She's had to borrow money to pay the fine,” said her son.

He feels his mum should have been given the chance to pick the cigarette end up before the fine was issued, and he has also complained about the officers’ ‘heavy-handed’ approach.

"My mum says she felt very intimidated and pretty scared by these officers.

“I’ve contacted MK Council but they informed me they've looked at the body cam footage and feel everything was okay...Apparently bullying and intimidation is better than education and a chance to put actions right… My mum was happy to pick up the cigarette butt wasn't even given a chance.”

MK City Council has a zero tolerance approach to litter of any sort – even a sweet wrapper or cigarette butt. They launched the special litter enforcement officers in January last year in a bid to keep city clean and tidy.

Wearing body cameras and dressed to smart black uniforms, the wardens have orders to look out for people dropping fast food wrappers, empty coffee cups, sweet papers, used face masks and any other form of litter.

The wardens are also meant to fine dog owners who fail to pick up poo, but these fines are relatively rare.

In the first three months of the scheme, the wardens handed out 2,725 on-the-spot fines for littering – an average of 38 a day. During the same period, just four dog owners received fines for not picking up after their pet.

One of the recipients of a littering fine was an elderly man who dropped a sweet out of his pocket. Many of the other people fined have been smokers who’ve dropped a butt on the ground.

Last August seven smokers were among those taken to court by the council for not paying their penalty notices.

All their fines were issued during the first two days that MK’s new ultra-zealous litter wardens started work.

All seven people pleaded guilty at MK Magistrates Court and their resulting fines and penalties totaled a whopping £2,710.

MK Council says the wardens are necessary to keep the city “green and clean”.

Liberal Democrat councillor Paul Trendall has said: “Littering is anti-social, dangerous and harmful to our local wildlife and environment. It is also a huge cost to the council. This money could be spent on other essential services if offenders took the simple step of not throwing their rubbish on the floor.”