Mother fined because 'toddler dropped banana skin'

Kirsty Allen, 29, from Oxford Street in Grimsby, said she is appalled by the fine issued by North East Lincolnshire Council.

She was stopped by a council warden while walking with 16-month-old Lennon. She said she was fined when the warden saw the piece of fruit fall out of the child's pram.

Mrs Allen told the Grimsby Telegraph: "He loves bananas and I have given him one to eat to settle him down.

"He must have finished eating it and left the end of it on the blanket. It rolled off the side of the pram and landed in a big puddle.

"I didn't really think of it as litter as I thought it would either be eaten by birds or just decompose."

The council disputed Mrs Allen's version of events.

John Waite, the interim environmental enforcement manager, said: "It is standard procedure to issue a fixed penalty notice to anybody who is caught littering.

"This incident was identified as an offence within the Cleaner Neighbourhoods Environment Act 2005 as the resident was caught discarding the skin of a banana.

"The offence was acknowledged by Mrs Allen and the council's community wardens spoke to her about the consequences of waste being discarded."