Outrage as elderly slapped with £150 fines for feeding birds in their local park
Pensioners in East London are being hit with hefty £150 fines for feeding birds in their local park.
Elderly residents frequenting Star Park in Newham have reportedly been penalised by Newham Council under the accusation of 'fly tipping'. The council's actions have sparked controversy and raised questions about the fairness of these fines. During a full council meeting on Monday evening, ward councillor Areeq Chowdhury made an impassioned plea to the council to reconsider these fines or at least provide clearer signage across all parks in the borough explaining why feeding the birds is prohibited.
Cllr Chowdhury said: "When a pensioner feeds the birds in their local park, they are not committing an act of fly tipping. Rather they are doing something which they consider to be kind to nature and soothing to their own mental health."
Star Park in Newham (Google Street View)He expressed his disappointment over the recent fines, deeming them "particularly unfair" amidst a cost of living crisis, reports My London. "I have no doubt that there are good reasons for the public to not feed birds, however these fines seem punitive. Will the council consider reviewing fines given for this reason over the past 12 months, and if they can't be refunded, will they commit to putting up clear signage across all parks in Newham explaining the penalties and rationale for not feeding the birds?"
In a public statement, the council acknowledged that while feeding birds may seem like a "harmless activity", it inadvertently attracts vermin such as rats in "large numbers", leading to "many and varied issues, including severe health problems for local residents."
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The council further explained: "Consequently, actions are taken by all local authorities, particularly in built up urban areas within London. Bird feeding on a repeated scale that causes nuisance is contrary to the law, as it is an offence to drop controlled waste on the public highway, park or open space to feed birds."
Clarifying the penalties, the council stated that anyone issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) for bird feeding will be charged under 'littering' rather than fly tipping. The fine, initially set at £150, can be reduced to £100 if paid within 14 days. In response to calls for clearer signage, the council revealed plans to "enhance its public information about a range of environmental enforcement issues, including bird feeding in public".
During the meeting, Cllr Chowdhury posed a follow-up question regarding enforcement officers. He queried: "I have been told that enforcement officers are essentially paid by commission; the more fines issued, the more money they receive."
"Can the council confirm whether this is indeed the case? And if so, will it consider the possibility of negative incentives leading enforcement officers to target vulnerable individuals with maximum penalties instead of focusing on the more covert and harmful fly tippers?"
In response Cllr Amar Virdee, the cabinet member for community safety and crime, assured that he would investigate the matter further. He admitted that he was unable to provide a definitive answer during the meeting.
* This article was crafted with the help of an AI tool, which speeds up The Mirror's editorial research. An editor reviewed this content before it was published. You can report any errors to [email protected]
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