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Elderly man in UK fined Rs 26,000 for spitting out leaf that accidentally blew into his mouth

The incident occurred near a boating lake in Lincolnshire. The original fine was £250, which was later reduced to £150 on appeal.

The incident escalated after county councillor Adrian Findley received complaints from residents about similar “heavy-handed” incidents in the region (Representational image/Pexels)

An elderly man with walking difficulties, severe asthma, and a heart condition, was fined £250 (approximately Rs 26,250) for spitting out a leaf that accidentally blew into his mouth during a walk in the UK. The incident occurred near a boating lake in Lincolnshire, the BBC reported.

The original fine was £250, which was later reduced to £150 on appeal.

The report stated that the 86-year-old Roy Marsh managed to cough up and spit out the substance. However, the incident escalated after county councillor Adrian Findley received complaints from residents about similar “heavy-handed” incidents in the region.

“As I was sitting there, a gale blew a big reed into my mouth. I spat it out and just as I got up to walk away, two guys came up to me,” Marsh told BBC.

He said that the fine was imposed on him despite the incident being accidental. Slamming the officers, Marsh highlighted that people involved in genuine accidents should be given a chance to apologise.

In November, Brent Council revealed that it spends more than £30,000 a year cleaning up pavements and buildings stained with a reddish-brown substance left behind by people spitting out paan (tobacco), the BBC reported. Paan has a mixture of ingredients, including betel nut and leaf, herbs and tobacco, which gives a narcotic sense when chewed.

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Earlier, a video showing paan spit all over the streets of Harrow sparked outrage on social media. According to a video shared by Harrow Online, the stains were mostly spotted in Rayners Lane and North Harrow. Residents in the area claimed that the stains have become common outside shops and takeaway restaurants selling chewing tobacco products.