Van driver fined £225 for ‘snotting’ out of his window

A pensioner says he has been fined £225 by the council for shaking mucus off his hand while driving.

Les O’Donnell, 70, received a fine in the post for throwing a cigarette out of the window in September 2025, but says the officer who ‘saw’ him do it is mistaken.

The pensioner, from Coalville, Leicestershire, claims he had a cold, had sneezed into his hand, and finding himself without a hanky while driving, he ‘shook’ his hand out the window.

Les, who works part-time as a delivery driver, has appealed the fine, but says it was rejected, despite a lack of photographic evidence.

He said he is prepared to go to court over the matter, and ‘detests’ littering.

‘I’d been to the doctors that day as I was manufacturing a lot of mucus, and on the way back, I sneezed, and a huge lump of phlegm landed on my hand,’ he explained.

‘I didn’t have a hanky with me, so I shook my hand out of the window to get rid of the mucus.’

‘A few days later, I got a letter from the council saying an environmental protection officer had seen me throwing a cigarette out of my van window, and that I had been given a £225 fine.

‘There was no physical proof or photographic evidence of this alleged offence, only the word of this council officer.’

Les says he thinks the officer mistook the phlegm for a cigarette – and feels so strongly that he’s prepared to go to court.

He got the fine after leaving the doctors, while driving into town to do his shopping, along Broom Lees Road, Coalville.

He claims that he may have been smoking at the time, but that he has a cigarette extinguishing pouch and a litter bag in his van.

Upset, Les went straight down to the council office to explain and was told that he could appeal the fine.

Les appealed and asked the council if they had any photographic evidence of the alleged offence, but was told that the statement provided by the environment officer was deemed evidence enough.

‘Why is my word not worth as much as his? I’d love to see a picture if there is one, because I genuinely believe that it was me getting rid of phlegm,’ he said.

‘There are thousands of people in our district council area outside pubs, clubs, hairdressers, bingo halls and retail shops, smoking, but they don’t seem to be penalising these people.’

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