Shopper claims he was wrongly accused of dropping litter
HE IS APPEALING AGAINST £75 FINE FOR ALLEGEDLY THROWING CIGARETTE BUTT OUT OF CAR WINDOW AT RETAIL PARK
A MAN says he was left embarrassed after being accused of littering in an Aldi car park and receiving a fine.
Chris Whitworth, 49, from Chilwell, visited the supermarket at Edwalton Retail Park with his partner at around 1pm on March 27.
The pair had just left Wheatcrofts garden centre and decided to visit Aldi for the first time, parking up before going to head inside.
However, Mr Whitworth was confronted by an enforcement officer from Rushcliffe Borough Council before he reached the entrance.
He said: “We got out the car and started up towards the entrance. I heard this voice behind me saying ‘excuse me, excuse me’ – he flashed his ID and said ‘I witnessed you drop something out of your car.’
“I said ‘not to my knowledge unless something has blown out of my window,’ and said I’d go back to the car to check if there was anything on the ground.
“He then told me that even if I did pick it up I was still going to be fined, which I didn’t think was fair.
“But there was nothing there. I looked all around and under the car – there was nothing.
“He was quite nasty about it and demanded I give him my details, being quite forceful. I did nothing wrong.”
The council are at the site issuing fines after a “horrendous” amount of rubbish was reported to be found at the new retail park just off Wheatcrofts roundabout.
Mr Whitworth says there were half a dozen cigarette butts already on the floor near the passenger side of the car, which were there when the couple arrived and did not come from his vehicle.
Despite his protestations, Mr Whitworth was fined £75, which could rise to £100, for allegedly throwing a cigarette butt out of his window.
Although he smokes, Chris said he was not smoking before he got out of the car and that neither he nor his partner deliberately threw anything out of the window.
He continued: “It was so embarrassing for both of us – I don’t think I would want to go back there now.
“I was in the doorway when he came up to me.”
Mr Whitworth also claims that the enforcement officer from the council was not wearing a face covering during the exchange.
He is attempting to appeal against the fine, although he says he has had difficulty lodging his complaints online with the system Rushcliffe Borough Council uses.
A Rushcliffe Borough Council spokesperson said: “We are aware of the case but cannot comment further at this stage, pending a potential appeal.”
There was nothing there. I looked all around and under the car – there was nothing
Chris Whitworth