A mother collecting food parcels for vulnerable people was handed a £150 fixed penalty notice after a kale leaf fell from her trolley in a Sainsbury’s car park.
Monica Serro, 42, had spent the day gathering much-needed food from local supermarkets in Arnold, Nottingham, which she offers for free from her home. As she loaded the Olio food collection into her car, an enforcement officer working for Gedling Borough Council approached her, claiming she had littered.
“Mum fined £150 for kale leaf while collecting food for vulnerable; council cancelled penalty after technical error.”
The trouble began when the welfare officer returned Serro’s trolley, not noticing a large kale leaf had become wedged between the metal frame. The enforcement officer marched up and confronted her about the loose kale, calling it “food waste” and issuing the penalty.
“I was collecting waste food from supermarkets, with the plan being that people would then come and collect the food from my house,” Serro said. “As a volunteer, we collect the food and pass it on for free to the community.”
She explained the situation, but the officer told her: “That’s food waste, next time use a bin.” Serro described the incident as “ridiculous”. “You’re trying to reduce food waste, and then you get told you’re adding to it,” she said.
The mother-of-one said she did not notice the leaf on the trolley. Her mother informed the officer that Serro was a volunteer collecting food for the community. According to Serro, the officer then said if she refused to provide her details he would increase the fine. “I didn’t want to argue anymore; my mum was getting really upset,” she said. “He gave me the fine and took the kale leaf and gave it to me.”
Serro noticed the fine listed a different address, not the Sainsbury’s car park, and the reason given was “throwing a cigarette to the floor”. She disputed the fine and asked the council to review bodycam footage. “I got zero reply,” she said. “For the ticket, they just sent me an email saying they saw the footage and said there was a technical issue with the footage and that I didn’t have to pay.”
The council eventually cancelled the fine on June 13 after several emails. In an apology, the council’s complaints team wrote: “I have reviewed the body camera footage and evidence surrounding your fix…” Serro believes the officer, a “young lad”, was “fishing for tickets”. She still insists she should never have been fined in the first place, branding the decision “ridiculous”.