Council Secretly Snaps Pensioner Feeding Birds And Threatens Her With £2,500 Fine

A council authority has got itself into a flap by threatening a £2,500 fine to a pensioner for feeding some birds in her local park.

Janet Tomlinson, 72, was issued with the warning for “littering” by East Staffordshire Borough Council, who took secret pictures of her feeding the birds at Shobnall Playing Fields in Burton-upon-Trent.

She has been feeding sparrows and blue tits in the park for the past 31 years, but the council says her activity is encouraging rats to come into the area.

Ms Tomlinson, a retired factory and pub worker, claims she was followed by council staff into the playing fields on August 24 and told she faced a fine. She says they took pictures of her feeding the birds while she was walking a friend’s dog.

She received a letter from the council saying she would be fined £2,500 if caught feeding the birds again.

“I’m shocked to be threatened with potential legal action and a criminal record for feeding the birds,” said Ms Tomlinson.

“I’ve fed the birds for the last 31 years and never had a problem before. Surely the council has better things to do than follow me around while I’m walking in a park.”

She said a man and a woman emerged from a white van and told her they had photographic evidence of her littering.

“I was flabbergasted and at first I thought it was a joke but then they told me I could be fined up to £2,500 if I did it in the future,” she said. “I felt I was ambushed on my morning walk.”

She insisted rats don’t eat the bird seed she throws down.

“I love animals and have always enjoyed feeding the birds because I like to think it keeps them coming back to the park,” she added.

In a statement, the council said: “The incident in question occurred following a complaint made to East Staffordshire Borough Council regarding bird feed being left on a grass verge in Shobnall.

“This caused concern due to the increased risk of the bird feed inadvertently encouraging rats which were soon after witnessed eating the feed left on the ground.”

(Pictures: South West News Service)