Banana lands mum with a £50 litter fine
A GRIMSBY mother was left "disgusted" after she was slapped with a £50 littering fine when her baby dropped the end of a banana out of his pram.
Kirsty Allen, 29, of Oxford Street, was stopped by a council warden as she was walking with 16-month-old Lennon along Victor Street last Wednesday.
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Kirsty Allen and her son Lennon Allen, one, who were fined for dropping part of a banana.
She was given the ticket after the warden saw the piece of fruit fall out of the tot's pram.
Mrs Allen said: "He loves bananas and I have given him one to eat to settle him down.
"He must have finished eating it and left the end of it on the blanket.

Kirsty Allen and her son Lennon Allen, one, who were fined for dropping part of a banana.
"It rolled off the side of the pram and landed in a big puddle.
"I didn't really think of it as litter as I thought it would either be eaten by birds or just decompose.
"The warden pulled me up and issued me with a £50 fine.
"I think it is disgusting – I was lost for words and trust me, that doesn't happen often!"
North East Lincolnshire Council dispute that the it was the tip of the banana that was dropped - saying that it was their understanding that it was the skin of the fruit that was discarded.
However Mrs Allen claims that she is certain that it was the end of the fruit and that she pointed out to the warden that the peel of the banana had been kept safe to stop it from being dropped.
Read the full story in today's Grimsby Telegraph.







53 Comments
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by S Brown, cleethorpes
Friday, February 19 2010, 10:49AM
“Child below age of responsibility, what are they thinking?? This service cost NELC tax payers £1.7 million a year!!”
by mrs l, grimsby
Thursday, February 18 2010, 9:26PM
“note to wendy: mrs allen was on her way to my house when the inncident in question occured, i live very close and mrs allen was at my house minutes after the fine was issued. on entering my house mrs allen still had the banana skin in question underneath her pram along with a empty crisp packet- and when the wardens spoke to mrs allen she pointed out that she had the rest of her litter with her! the story said the banana 'fell off' was not thrown into the air as you say”
by anon, clee
Thursday, February 18 2010, 9:14PM
“has there even been a difference since the wardens have been in place? and reading what other members of the public have been fined for - powertrip??? i am a mum of 3 and have returned home many times missing objects that baby in the pram had at the beginning of the journey, dummies, shoes, socks, the odd toy and no doubt baby probably threw the odd snack too. while pushing a pram trying to avoid the MASSES of dog poo it is damn near impossible to have your eyes solely on your children every single second of the day! i applaud the commentors that have obviously have impeckably behaved babies and this has never happened to. IT WAS A BANANA TIP AND BABY 16MTH! council all for community and people? it is nearly 1 months child benefit to pay the fine-for a banana tip, get a grip wardens-dont spit your dummy out it will cost. and as many of the other commentors have said concentrate on the real problem the dog mess in the area is appauling all along grimsby road, brereton ave all the side streets even the public have circled it asking offenders not to continue to allow this to happen. i am fully behind mrs allen 100%”
by warrior, Cleethorpes
Thursday, February 18 2010, 4:25PM
“Sorry Big Ron, But I must disagree with you on this.
As I've already said, it's no good just issuing a ticket and leaving the litter there. That does NOT solve the problem or REMOVE whatever the litter may be.
I still say the wardens would be of more use if either they made the offender pick up the litter or did it themselves and put it in a cart they should be pushing around, instead of walking about with their hand in their pockets untill it's 'ticket time' again.”
by abbey, Old Clee
Thursday, February 18 2010, 8:43AM
“I think the Council is a joke! You hear them dishing out fines for people dropping bananas or apples in the street but when do you hear of one being fined for dog mess??? I walk my son accross old clee fields with a pushchair aswell and the amount of dog mess is unbelievable and the council just arn't bothered about doing anything about it as i have never seen anyone on patrol for dishing out fines to these people when dog mess does more harm than dropped banana's. I know it's not all dog owers as some do clean up after their pet good on them. But im afraid that old clee fields speaks for it's self the amount of dog mess on there it is almost impossable to dodge and am sick of having to clean it off my wheels of the push chair and my sons shoes. Come on council if your that bothered about making miney over fined people for litter get on old clee fields and fined people over dog mess you'd earn a gold mine on there!!!!”
by Abbie Pearson, Old Clee
Thursday, February 18 2010, 8:35AM
“I think it's a complete joke! i walk my son to school everyday accross old clee fields and the amount of dog mess we have to try and dodge is unbelievable you NEVER EVER SEE OR HEAR ANY ONE BEING FINE over dog mess which in it's self can do more harm than a banana. I mean its good on the dog owners who do clean up well done. But that ones who don't then they shouldn't have a dog! Come on N.E. Lincs if you are that bothered of making money by fining people over banana's than get your self on old clee feilds over dog muck you'd earn a gold mine on there!”
by John, At home
Thursday, February 18 2010, 2:47AM
“Dave Cleethorpes. Bet that ruined the wardens day - you taking your litter away ?
I was followed by a police car today - stuck to 30, stopped at lights, even let an old lady cross on a crossing, then I parked in the firms free car park. Clever or what ? Think about it !!”
by dee, grimsby
Wednesday, February 17 2010, 10:59PM
“i think this is stupid, and am sure there is a name of the warden that gave u this name and shame this perthetic ticket producer.babys arnt born walking talking and understanding, i am a mum blankets , dummies, bottles , shoes all get lost when out and about but can your baby understand not to chuck it out no,they a BABY ........ lets all go bananas.....”
by Jamie, grimsby
Wednesday, February 17 2010, 10:58PM
“I think, if what the lady says is true, and it was just banana that was dropped, then a little common sense should be applied, - OK... it was dropped on the floor, but within a few hours it will be gone, not degraded, but eaten by birds etc.
In my view at least, if someone drops a small amount of something, that will be gone within the day anyway, and won't cause a major problem in the meantime, then perhaps just a 'word' would do.... But if it was the skin... well I suppose it is a hazard of a kind...and I doubt it would get eaten...”
by BOB, grimsby
Wednesday, February 17 2010, 10:02PM
“Glad to see the wardens of NELincs still keeping with the traditional 'women and children' first rule...NOT
I have never seen such a useless bunch.
WHAT A WASTE OF MONEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”