Minoriteeburg
22-02-2006, 21:43
Double fine for Essex chip thrower
A man who threw chips out of his car window has received fixed penalty fines for littering from two councils because the chips fell across both districts.
Mathew Buer, 21, from Clacton, Essex, was fined £50 by Colchester Borough Council after he was spotted throwing chips out of his window as he was travelling along the A133 between Clacton and Colchester.
Mr Buer paid the fine and thought the matter was settled until a second demand for payment fell through his letterbox from neighbouring Tendring District Council because some of the chips fell in its district.
Mike Page, a spokesman for Tendring District Council, said today that one of its employees had been driving behind Mr Buer and had reported him after taking offence at seeing him throwing the chips.
"We take littering very seriously as a council and will stand by this," he said.
"It wasn`t just a few chips, this was chip after chip and the wrapping as well. It covered a fair distance and the employee who was following him obviously took exception and notified both authorities."
He added that the council will take Mr Buer to court if he doesn`t pay the fine.
Mr Buer was unavailable for comment today, but he told the Evening Gazette in Essex: "Yesterday, I got a letter from Tendring Council saying that part of what I threw out of the window landed in its district and the rest in Colchester and I had to pay two fines. They`ve got to be taking the mickey, big time."
This one is for my Peeches because she was worried about me.
Seriously its gotta suck to be this guy, getting double-fined on a technicality, but then again why couldn't he just wait to throw the freedom fries out in the trash. Then again i've thrown food out my car window before on several occasions. But I've never been caught :D
A man who threw chips out of his car window has received fixed penalty fines for littering from two councils because the chips fell across both districts.
Mathew Buer, 21, from Clacton, Essex, was fined £50 by Colchester Borough Council after he was spotted throwing chips out of his window as he was travelling along the A133 between Clacton and Colchester.
Mr Buer paid the fine and thought the matter was settled until a second demand for payment fell through his letterbox from neighbouring Tendring District Council because some of the chips fell in its district.
Mike Page, a spokesman for Tendring District Council, said today that one of its employees had been driving behind Mr Buer and had reported him after taking offence at seeing him throwing the chips.
"We take littering very seriously as a council and will stand by this," he said.
"It wasn`t just a few chips, this was chip after chip and the wrapping as well. It covered a fair distance and the employee who was following him obviously took exception and notified both authorities."
He added that the council will take Mr Buer to court if he doesn`t pay the fine.
Mr Buer was unavailable for comment today, but he told the Evening Gazette in Essex: "Yesterday, I got a letter from Tendring Council saying that part of what I threw out of the window landed in its district and the rest in Colchester and I had to pay two fines. They`ve got to be taking the mickey, big time."
This one is for my Peeches because she was worried about me.
Seriously its gotta suck to be this guy, getting double-fined on a technicality, but then again why couldn't he just wait to throw the freedom fries out in the trash. Then again i've thrown food out my car window before on several occasions. But I've never been caught :D