SaralnamaA non-smoker was fined £433 for dropping a cigarette butt in Manchester. Steve Jones, a 53-year-old teacher from Teddington, was wrongly accused. He was 200 miles away in Maidstone for a family funeral. Jones told Manchester city council it was a mistake. The council sent him evidence with wrong details. He tried to explain the error. The council later admitted the mistake. But Jones was still convicted in his absence. He is worried about his record as a teacher. The council now promises to cancel the conviction. They apologized for the trouble caused to Jones. (Updated 6 Sep 2025, 12:09 IST; source: link)
Key Points
- A non-smoker was fined £433 for dropping a cigarette butt in Manchester
- Steve Jones, a 53-year-old teacher from Teddington, was wrongly accused
- He was 200 miles away in Maidstone for a family funeral