Ayrshire Post [Friday 12th June article].
A man who dropped a ten pound note in an Ayr street was given a 50 pound fine.
Stewart Smith says he was at first grateful when police pointed to his dropped tenner in Newmarket Street. And he thanked them for pointing it out to him.
But the 36 year old [living on benefits] says that the cops then handed him the fixed penalty fine.
Mr Smith said: " I'm living on 98 pounds a fortnight at the moment. So 50 pounds [the fine] is a weeks living expenses for me."
Mr Smith says he had just bought a 3 pound T-shirt in a charity shop, paid for it with a twenty pound note given to him by his mum.
He said: "I came out the Capability Scotland shop with my T-shirt under my arm. I put 7 quid into my front pocket, as I was going to buy some juice. I thought I was putting a 10 quid note and the receipt in my back pocket. But I missed my pocket, and the tenner - along with the receipt - had fallen on to the street."
Mr Smith insisted: "I made an honest mistake."
The ticket gives him 14 days to pay up to South Ayrshire Council. But he has already consulted a lawyer to see if he can fight what he sees as an unjust fine.
Formerly of Kincaidston, Mr Smith now lives in a flat in Dalrymple. He worked at the Bed Shed warehouse at Skeldon, before Arthritis in his hands ****** him to leave at the end of last year.
Mr Smith said: "I really thought the police were trying to be helpful at first, but maybe I just have the kind of face they don't like."
He insists that he didn't swear at the police or deliberately litter.
Inspector John Cairns of Ayr police office said: "I can confirm a male was issued with a fixed penalty notice for an alleged act of littering on the day in question."
A man who dropped a ten pound note in an Ayr street was given a 50 pound fine.
Stewart Smith says he was at first grateful when police pointed to his dropped tenner in Newmarket Street. And he thanked them for pointing it out to him.
But the 36 year old [living on benefits] says that the cops then handed him the fixed penalty fine.
Mr Smith said: " I'm living on 98 pounds a fortnight at the moment. So 50 pounds [the fine] is a weeks living expenses for me."
Mr Smith says he had just bought a 3 pound T-shirt in a charity shop, paid for it with a twenty pound note given to him by his mum.
He said: "I came out the Capability Scotland shop with my T-shirt under my arm. I put 7 quid into my front pocket, as I was going to buy some juice. I thought I was putting a 10 quid note and the receipt in my back pocket. But I missed my pocket, and the tenner - along with the receipt - had fallen on to the street."
Mr Smith insisted: "I made an honest mistake."
The ticket gives him 14 days to pay up to South Ayrshire Council. But he has already consulted a lawyer to see if he can fight what he sees as an unjust fine.
Formerly of Kincaidston, Mr Smith now lives in a flat in Dalrymple. He worked at the Bed Shed warehouse at Skeldon, before Arthritis in his hands ****** him to leave at the end of last year.
Mr Smith said: "I really thought the police were trying to be helpful at first, but maybe I just have the kind of face they don't like."
He insists that he didn't swear at the police or deliberately litter.
Inspector John Cairns of Ayr police office said: "I can confirm a male was issued with a fixed penalty notice for an alleged act of littering on the day in question."
