Discarded stick costs girl lolly

The council said Sorrell could appeal against the fine

A teenager has been fined £75 for leaving an ice lolly stick on a wall in Manchester city centre.

Sorrell Walsh, 16, had just finished a 95p Twister when she spotted a friend and ran over to greet her.

A council warden saw that she had left the wooden stick behind on a wall and immediately confronted her.

The teenager, from Stalybridge, burst into tears and offered to bin it - but the warden still fined her. Manchester City Council has said she can appeal.

The ticket warns the GCSE student that failure to pay could see her issued with a court summons and fined up to £2,000.

We have consistently shown that we will take action against individuals who flout the rules Manchester City Council spokeswoman

Sorrell Walsh, who is studying at Copley High School, had finished eating the Twister when she spotted a friend near the Urbis museum.

She jumped from the wall she was sitting on but was confronted by the warden before she reached her friend.

"When she approached me I was just asking what have I done? And I offered to go and get it and put it in the bin," said Sorrell.

"She said: 'It's too late for that, you've just got yourself a £75 fine'.

"I was just shocked by her reaction and started crying. I always thought the wardens were there to make you feel more comfortable.

"I'm one of the worst people if someone drops litter, and I'll tell them they are a litterbug. I was just shocked by what happened."

'Zero tolerance'

Her father David Walsh, 43, described the warden's behaviour as "absolutely appalling".

A spokeswoman for Manchester City Council said: "Manchester has taken a zero tolerance approach against littering over the last few years and we will continue to do so.

"Individuals must take responsibility for helping to keep the city clean and not expect others to clear up after them.

"We have consistently shown that we will take action against individuals who flout the rules."

Up to 300 metric tons of rubbish are discarded by shoppers and workers on to the streets and pavements every year.

The annual cost of collecting litter from the city centre costs the council more than £8m.