A woman is furious after she was caught throwing a cigarette butt out of a car window and fined £100.
Caroline Dawson insists she never litters and always been a "law-abiding citizen", but she was caught in the act by council chiefs.
She described the charge as too much for a "petty" offence and said the authority in her area of Grimsby should be targeting fly-tipping and litter on the estate where her home is.
Ms Dawson was driving her elderly parents' car when she threw the butt, GrimsbyLive reports.
Her mum and dad then received a letter in the post asking who had been driving the car and who was insured to drive it.
She reckons someone must have been behind her and spotted her throwing the cigarette butt out of the window.
Ms Dawson told GrimsbyLive : "I don't think there were cameras, I think it must've been someone behind me doing surveillance.
"It was about 3.30pm and I think I'd come from Aldi on Cleethorpe Road, and I was in my parent's car. They don't smoke, and I don't usually smoke in their car, but I had the one.
"I wound the window right down and I must've thrown the butt end out of the window and been caught on camera or by a surveillance person behind me.
"I do remember having a cigarette in the car but I was rushing around as I normally am. It's not something I'd usually do because in my partner's car, we use the ashtray.
"I wouldn't usually do that in their car, so just in that second of me doing that, I was caught."
"My mum and dad were worried and they sent the form back to say it was me driving and not them, and now I'm just waiting to hear back. The actual form came from an enforcement place in Doncaster. It happened out of the blue days later.
"I did feel it's my bad luck because I just thought, one little butt end and a £100 fine. What angers me is that I live on the Nunsthorpe, my partner lives on the Nunsthorpe, and there's so many other issues there. It does seem rather petty to get such a hefty fine.
"Considering the state of a lot of streets and areas, not just the Nunsthorpe, the fly-tipping that goes on, I'm sure people do a hell of a lot worse and don't get caught, or it's not pursued. I've always been a law-abiding citizen, I don't throw rubbish or anything like that.
"I suppose if I'd have been flagged down at the time and it was pointed out, and it was something like a £20 or £30 fine on the spot, it would be different. It just seems so hefty.
"I admit the offence was a spur of the moment thing, but I'm angry at all the other offences taking place - bigger offences - that go undetected.
"While I agree with the deterrent, it's rather excessive when there are so many other issues that aren't being dealt with."
A North East Lincolnshire Council spokesperson said: “Littering is an antisocial and criminal act and will not be tolerated.
"With 979 litter bins in convenient locations around the borough, you are never far from a bin.
"There is absolutely no excuse to drop litter, including cigarettes, anywhere in North East Lincolnshire and you should ensure your cigarette is fully extinguished before disposing of it.
“People who drop litter make the place look unsightly and it is left for others to clean up after them.
“Enforcement officers routinely patrol the borough and anyone caught littering faces a £150 fine.”
