Duck feeding fine is dropped
A mother fined for feeding the ducks with her young son in the Black Country is to have her penalty revoked, it has been revealed today.
A mother fined for feeding the ducks with her young son in the Black Country is to have her penalty revoked, it has been revealed today.
Vanessa Kelly's £75 fine will be dropped along with similar penalties imposed on six other people in Smethwick Hall Park.
The story hit the headlines last week as the Express & Star revealed the outraged mother was given the littering fine by a council warden.
New Sandwell Council leader Darren Cooper branded the charges "over the top". He said new warning signs would now be installed in the park and they would be taking a "common sense approach".
But he warned that wardens wearing head cameras will be on patrol at the Londonderry Lane park and once new signs telling people of the potential charges are put up, there would be a three warnings approach.
Councillor Cooper said: "I am determined to do whatever it takes to clean up Sandwell because our residents constantly tell us parts of the borough are dirty.
"We will take a common sense approach to this matter and for this reason we will not pursue payment for Vanessa Kelly's Fixed Penalty Notice while we improve signs at Smethwick Hall Park.
"The new signs will make it abundantly clear that feeding of waterfowl is not allowed at all in this park and that anyone observed feeding the geese and any other birds will receive a fixed penalty notice.
"We will also not be pursuing payment of fines given to six other people for feeding wildfowl at Smethwick Hall Park. Two people who have already paid fines will be refunded their money."
Ms Kelly, aged 26, of Marshall Road, Oldbury, said she was pleased with the decision. She said: "It means I don't have to go to court which is a relief because I would have done. I was ready to fight it all the way.
"At the end of the day the council didn't have a leg to stand on because the signs did not say you could get fined, but it is a relief it's all sorted."
Councillor Cooper said anyone wanting to feed the ducks could do so in either West Smethwick Park, Victoria Park in Tipton and Victoria Park in Smethwick.
