A £150 littering fine that was handed to an 85-year-old man who left his walking stick on the roadside whilst out on a litter pick, has been rescinded by a town council.
Good Samaritan Alan Davies had been litter picking with a group of friends along Longwood Lane and Hayhead Wood in Walsall on September 6.
But he received a fine from Walsall Council last week after forgetting to pick up his walking stick and a bag with a cushion inside, which he had left by the roadside.
The grandfather, who has been litter picking for 20 years, questioned the Council on ‘why would I leave my stick there on purpose’ and said he takes a cushion with him so ‘I can sit down on the bench for a rest’.
Now, Walsall Council has apologised to Mr Davies and said the ‘fixed penalty notice has been rescinded’ after a review of the CCTV footage.
When asked by about the fine, Mr Davies said: ‘I couldn’t stand up, I was in so much shock, I needed to sit down to be honest.
‘I knew I had lost my stick and bag as I got to dinner time that evening and couldn’t find them.
‘I must have put them down by the boot but walked around the other side of the car before it was shut.’
Mr Davies claims Walsall Council tracked him down after trawling through CCTV images from a camera and found his address by using his car’s number plate.
The former builder said he was ‘shocked, angry and upset’ to have received the fine.
‘Why would I leave my walking stick there on purpose. I want it back, but I cannot speak to anyone human about the fine,’ he explained.
‘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.’
Mr Davies spends two to three hours each day cleaning up the path alongside his friends John and Ann.
He said: ‘I won’t let this put us off in future.
‘I tried contacting the council to appeal it but it’s like a wall – you can’t get through to anyone.
‘You have to do it all on the internet but I don’t have a smart phone or anything like that, so I tried calling.
‘One bloke said they would take my number and call me back, but they never did.’
Mr Miles added: ‘You just want to speak to somebody face to face to put your side across, but I haven’t even been given that chance.
‘A kind lad in my local pub has given me another stick to use that was his late fathers, which was very kind.
‘I’m sad to lose my other one, it was a good stick and worth about £100.
‘I’m just trying to do a good thing for the community and it keeps me busy and active.
‘It’s the social side of it I enjoy too but this came as a real shock. I’ve not got a high opinion of Walsall Council right now.’
Alan’s neighbour Ann previously 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 council spokesperson 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.’