'Dropped sweet' fine for father

A father has said he was fined £50 because his two-year-old son dropped a sweet he did not like on the street.

Craig McKinlay branded Wakefield Council "ridiculous" after he was handed an on-the-spot fine by a patrolling warden in Pontefract.

The 27-year-old taxi operator said he was tying his shoelace at the time and did not see toddler Alfie drop the heart-shaped sweet on the ground.

The council said Mr McKinlay received the fine as he was throwing sweets.

The notice was given because of the father's behaviour Charlie Tindall, Wakefield Council

Mr McKinlay said: "How can they expect a two-year-old to be able to put litter in the bin?

"And it was a sweet, not litter - it wouldn't have been long before the pigeons ate it."

Wakefield Council said the fixed penalty was issued against Mr McKinlay because he was seen throwing sweets and not because his son had dropped one.

Charlie Tindall, the council's neighbourhood patroller and dog warden manager said: "The notice was given because of the father's behaviour, which was witnessed by our patrollers.

"We are committed to making our towns cleaner and more pleasant places in which to live, work and shop, and our neighbourhood patrollers will act if they see anyone acting in a way that damages the environment."