Pensioner threatened with fine over missing cat posters

A pensioner was threatened with a £75 fly-posting fine by her local council after putting up posters of her missing cat. Sarah Sear, 63, had included her telephone number on the signs hoping local residents would contact her with sightings of her lost Siamese, Alfie.

However Mrs Sear received a call from council worker warning she would be fined for fly-posting if she did not take the posters down from

"I was absolutely flabbergasted," said Mrs Sear, of Worthing, West Sussex. "At first, I thought it was a joke. The man said once they find out my address they will be round to enforce a £75 fine for fly-posting. I was absolutely beside myself as he was making me feel as though I had done something really terrible."



Mrs Sear said she has now taken down the majority of the 20 posters, which she had stuck to phone boxes, trees and lampposts, and was still waiting for news about her cat.

She added: "I cannot understand why there was absolutely no sympathy from the man that called. Should missing pet posters really be classed as fly-posting? I can understand the council has a policy but I do not agree with the way it was handled by that man."

A Worthing Council spokeswoman said: "The council has every sympathy for the lady and understands that she is obviously distressed. Our employee wasn't seeking to be a 'jobsworth' but just to ask her to reduce the number of posters she has displayed in the area."

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