An 86-year-old man in Skegness, England, has been fined after local environmental officers cited him for littering when he spat out a piece of beach grass that blew into his mouth during a walk along the shore.
The incident occurred on the Lincolnshire coast, where officers issued the penalty under local anti-littering rules.
The man was initially fined £250, but the penalty was reduced on appeal to £150, or about $190 U.S. Officials classified the act as littering despite the grass originating naturally from the beach environment.
The case has drawn attention in the U.K. because of the man’s age and the circumstances surrounding the incident, prompting debate over how strictly environmental enforcement laws should be applied. Local authorities say littering rules are intended to protect public spaces, while critics argue the enforcement in this case was excessive.
Environmental enforcement policies vary across England, with councils authorized to issue on-the-spot fines for actions they determine violate litter regulations.
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