Smokers are being fined for ashing cigarettes in public in Sandwell, England. Photo / Gerard Johnston.
A man carrying a chip wrapper bustles along the pavement, his search for a bin becoming more frantic with every step.
Across the street, a woman smoking at a bus stop looks nervously over her shoulder as she surreptitiously flicks ash into the breeze.
These are embattled residents of Sandwell.
The area, which includes the towns of West Bromwich, Oldbury and Smethwick near Birmingham, boasts what must be some of the tidiest streets in Britain.
But cleanliness comes at a cost. Those who fall foul of the council's strict litter laws risk being collared by an army of eagle-eyed wardens, who, residents are beginning to feel, lie in wait around every corner.
This week, the residents of Oldbury woke up to the news that 70-year-old Sheila Martin faced a £2500 ($5476) fine after she refused to pay Sandwell an on-the-spot penalty for flicking ash at a bus stop.
Last year, Sandwell handed out more than 2200 penalty fines of £75, compared with just 336 in neighbouring Dudley. Misdemeanours as minor as allowing tissues to fall from pockets have been punished.
The rule of law has become so severe some locals label Sandwell the new capital of "big brother" Britain.
Shoppers on Oldbury streets said they feared being caught out and slapped with "excessive" fines.
Some workers wondered if asking nicely wouldn't be more effective, if less lucrative, than fines.
Claire Boyes, a 34-year-old charity worker, said: "There is a big difference between someone who accidentally drops something while they're running for a bus and someone who throws their litter from their car."
Boyes is one of many who are worried about the council's approach to littering after several stories about residents being stung.
Vanessa Kelly was fined for feeding ducks with her son in a park.
The council eventually agreed the duck-feeding charge was "over the top" and dropped the charges, but it won't back down in the case of Martin, the bus-stop smoker.
A council spokesman said: "The council takes a dim view of littering because the people of Sandwell tell us they want clean streets."
- Independent
