Steve Jones, a 53-year-old teacher from Teddington, Greater London, has been wrongly accused and convicted of dropping litter in Manchester city center while he was hundreds of miles away arranging a family funeral. Despite informing Manchester city council of the case of mistaken identity and his inability to have committed the offense, the prosecution proceeded in his absence, resulting in a fine of £433 for him.
In a letter sent in July, the council charged him with an offense of dropping litter based on a fixed-penalty notice for £150 for allegedly dropping litter outside the H&M store on Market Street on the afternoon of 14 December. The letter warned that the maximum fine was £2,500 if the case went to the magistrates court.
Jones tried to explain his absence at the time, as his father-in-law passed away on 13 December, and he was in Maidstone for the funeral proceedings. Moreover, the address on the fixed-penalty notice was someone else’s in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, and the date of birth and description were also inaccurate.
The identification issue and lack of evidence eventually led the council to realize that it was a case of mistaken identity. However, before this resolution, Jones had already received a conviction and a fine in the mail.
It is concerning for Jones that others may face a similar predicament and not have the means to challenge the fines. Though he initially felt annoyed, his frustration has grown due to the seriousness of the conviction.
Manchester city council has now stated that they are doing everything possible to set aside the conviction and offered a sincere apology to Jones for the distress caused.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/sep/06/non-smoker-fined-433-dropping-cigarette-butt-manchester
