Pipe smoking pensioner fined for dropping matchstick which burned his finger

A pipe-smoking pensioner has been slapped with a fine for dropping a matchstick which scorched his finger. Kenneth Bonnard was collecting great-granddaughter Shannon from school in Chesterfield and was waiting at the school's railings when he lit his pipe. But he dropped the match after it burned down and singed his forefinger. A council litter warden had spotted Kenneth dropping the match and demanded his name and address.

Kenneth claimed: 'On the way back to the car with Shannon, someone stopped me and asked for my name, address and date of birth - I thought he was doing a questionnaire. But then he showed me his credentials - it turned out he was an enforcement officer from Chesterfield Borough Council. The official told Mr Bonnard, 'we're going to have to fine you £50, you dropped a matchstick on to the ground'. I said, 'Yes, because it burned my finger. But it was still littering, according to this officer from the council.'



The 68-year-old, who normally puts old matchsticks in a box which he keeps in his pocket, said he had no alternative but to pay the fine. He would have been landed with a fine of up to £2,500 if he had not paid the £50 penalty. Kenneth, from Inkersall, Chesterfield, added: 'It's baffling really. The council would be better tackling the real litterbugs who leave burger wrappers and fish and chip papers around the school grounds.'

Chesterfield Borough Councillor Ian Openshaw said: 'Anything dropped and left on the street is classed as litter. Smoking related litter is difficult to clean because it is small and takes time and specialist equipment to move. Surveys show it accounts for over seventy per cent of litter found on the streets so by no means is it insignificant.'