Disabled man given £125 penalty for accidental littering

Philip Maidment, 57, from Brynmawr, was waiting for a bus at his local stop in Ebbw Vale just before 11am on Tuesday, October 24, when he dropped a cigarette butt on the ground.

Mr Maidment, who suffers from a multitude of health issues and uses a walking stick to get around, said this was an accident and that he immediately picked up the item and put it in the nearest bin.

However, he says an officer for Blaenau Gwent County Council spotted the incident, and after originally walking past, returned to Mr Maidment and gave him a fine for littering.

The penalty is for £125 and has the potential to rise to £2,500 - or even end up in court - if it is not paid within ten days.

The penalty will cost Mr Maidment £125 for the alleged crime of littering (Image: Sallie Phillips, Newsquest)

Mr Maidment said: “It’s totally unfair. The officer claimed he’d seen me intentionally drop the butt, which I didn't.

"When I explained I had attempted to pick up the butt, slowly because I’m disabled, he wasn’t having it.

“He said I deserved the penalty because he’d already caught me committing a crime.”

Amidst the cost-of-living crisis, Mr Maidment claims he is now panicking over the extra cost of the find, as he is already struggling to afford his bills and food.

He is worried about the possible risk of prison time as he can’t currently afford to pay the fine.

He says he has spoken to many other disabled people in the area who have been fined in recent months, for reasons that they feel are unjustified.

Mr Maidment is now worried about how will afford the fine amidst the cost-of living crisis (Image: Sallie Phillips, Newsquest)

He added: “It seems the council have stopped caring about the people they serve."

“I feel they are only out to make money off people. They don’t listen to anyone – my situation is a prime example of that.”

Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council have yet to respond to a request for comment.