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A UK woman was falsely accused and fined for littering in a village she hadn’t visited in decades, but the council later apologised after recognising their mistake.
The penalty, dated November 12, demanded payment of Rs 8,000. (Photo Credits: X)
Natalie Walton, a resident of Kent, UK, was left baffled when she received a penalty notice for littering in Swanscombe, a village nearly 300 kilometres from her home that she hasn’t set foot in for over a decade. The notice, sent to her parents’ address, claimed that she was observed discarding a cigarette on October 29, with the incident allegedly captured on body-worn camera by a Dartford council officer.
The penalty, dated November 12, demanded payment of £75 (around Rs 8,000) or an appeal. It also warned of potential court proceedings with a fine of up to £2,500 (around Rs 2.69 lakh) if convicted.
But Walton, who describes herself as a non-smoker, was adamant that she had not been near Swanscombe for years. “I had not been to Kent for months. Dartford council were trying to fine me £75 for something I was not even there to do. It is just a bit bizarre. I was accused of littering a cigarette in Swanscombe which is honestly more absurd, as I do not smoke and have never been to the address they have claimed I was at,” she said, speaking to KentOnline.
Walton even gathered her bank statements showing she was shopping in B&M and Tesco in Staffordshire at the time, proving her absence from Kent.
Speaking to KentOnline, she added, “I feel like a complete victim of fraud. Someone must have stolen my identity or the council’s security measures are so broken they will take a name and address with no proof.”
Despite her appeal being considered, Walton received a second letter, dated November 19, from the council indicating that court proceedings were beginning. With her wedding just two weeks away, she was anxious about the possibility of facing a hefty fine. “I am getting married in two weeks and I was so panicked I would have to pay out thousands. It has been so stressful. Although I was told the fine was on hold, it was the impending doom and not knowing how long this was going to go on for,” Walton said.
After a review of the evidence, Dartford Council contacted Walton a few days ago to inform her that the penalty notice had been cancelled. “When I saw the email, I was relieved and felt so much less stressed but I still have no idea how they thought it was me,” she said.
The council said that the real perpetrator had provided Walton’s details and that the enforcement team had initially issued the notice based on the information they received. The investigation into the true offender is still ongoing.
