A 73-year-old woman shared how she was ‘treated like a criminal’ after she fed the ducks by a river in Dartford, Kent.
Sylvie Ludlow said that she feeds the ducks every week after going to a market. But on Thursday, she was seen feeding the birds by the river and was given a huge fine that appeared through her mailbox.
The elderly woman said that she would have to pay £75 ($98) after she was spotted “discarding food namely bread to floor and did walk away.”
Sylvie told Kent Online: “I have never committed a crime in all my life. I was so upset and shocked to be accused of littering.
“I was treated like a criminal. It is not littering, as soon as you leave the seeds and bread it is gone.
“I actually pick up other people’s litter when I see it. I pick up plastic bottles or cans and I recycle them. So to be accused of littering was so upsetting.”
Her partner, Mark Smith, took to Facebook and asked if anyone else had received such a fine.
Many people commented on his post saying they also had similar experiences. But when local councilor Jeremy Kite saw the post, he got Sylvie’s fine removed.
“I wouldn’t have paid it because I don’t think it is an offence,” Sylvie continued.
“Surely there are more important things to be concerned with, and there are other places where littering is an issue.”
A spokesperson for Dartford Council said: “St Saviour’s Walk is a popular spot for feeding the ducks and birds by the river in our town centre and we would never want to discourage anyone from doing that.
“Sometimes though, too much of the wrong food can be harmful and if large quantities are left behind it can encourage vermin and that’s not good for human visitors or the ducks.
“So, all we are suggesting is that visitors bring food like sweetcorn, oats, seeds and rice, which are much better for water birds, and limit the use of bread if possible.
“No one is going to object to spreading a few crumbs but on occasion, we have had huge amounts of rotting bread left behind and even whole loaves still in their wrappers.”
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