Pensioner, 66, is wrongly fined £150 for littering after he went to feed the ... trends now
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A 66-year-old pensioner suffered 'sleepless nights' from being wrongly fined £150 for littering after he went to feed the ducks at the park.
William Varnham visited Watermead Country Park with his wife and 99-year-old disabled aunt to feed the animals with suitable bird seed from a plastic container.
The family then got back into their van parked a few yards from the designated duck-feeding area and went home.
Mr Varnham was left shocked a few days later when a £150 fine for littering from Leicester City Council landed on his doormat accusing him of throwing 'crumbs'.
William Varnham, a 66-year-old pensioner, suffered 'sleepless nights' after he was wrongly fined £150 for littering following a trip to Watermead Park to feed the ducks. He carried the feed in a plastic container
The council added it has a problem with 'huge amounts of food' being offered to the birds in city parks and told Mr Varnham in a letter that fixed penalty notices can be issued to mitigate 'incorrect behaviour'.
But Mr Varnham, who has volunteered as a littler picker himself in his home town of Melton, was outraged and says they did absolutely nothing wrong.
He told LeicestershireLive: 'I had been preparing to be taken to court over this. It was one of the worst weeks of my life - I had sleepless nights.
When the council fined Mr Varnham it added that it has a problem with 'huge amounts of food' being offered to the birds in city parks and told the pensioner in a letter that fixed penalty notices can be issued to mitigate 'incorrect behaviour'. Pictured: Ducks at Watermead Park
'We did what we usually do. We drove to the park and got a disabled bay which was yards from the designated bird-feeding area. I fed the