A woman who doesn’t smoke has been fined for dropping a cigarette in a town she says she’s never been to.
Natalie Walton received a fixed penalty notice (FPN) from Dartford Borough Council that had been sent to her parent’s house in Gravesend, Kent, where she last lived in 2021.
It said she had dropped the cigarette five miles away in Swanscombe on October 29 and would need to pay a £75 fine or appeal it.
Natalie said she was confused because not only is she a non-smoker who has never visited Swanscombe, on the date of the ‘offence’ she was in Staffordshire where she now lives.
The notice, dated November 12, stated that a Dartford council officer witnessed her ‘committing the offence’.
It said prosecution proceedings may immediately start against her as she had not paid or challenged fine when first issued.
This type of letter is sent to someone when they have been issued with a fine on the spot and have not settled or appealed it, prompting Natalie to wonder if someone was pretending to be her.
She told Kent Online: ‘It is just a bit bizarre. I was accused of littering a cigarette in Swanscombe which is honestly more absurd, as I do not smoke and have never been to the address they have claimed I was at.
‘I feel like a complete victim of fraud. Someone must have stolen my identity or the council’s security measures are so broken they will take a name and address with no proof.’
Armed with proof she was in Staffordshire at the time (she has bank transactions from shopping trips) Natalie appealed.
Another letter from the council arrived at her parents dated November 19, which said the council was starting court proceedings.
Finally, last week, Dartford council said they had cancelled the FPN following a review of the evidence she provided.
The evidence included a photo of Natalie, which did not match the person who was seen dropping the cigarette.
The council have since described the person they saw drop the cigarette to Natalie and she thinks it could be an old school friend she hasn’t seen in 20 years.
A Dartford Borough Council spokesperson said: ‘An FPN was issued to Ms Walton for dropping litter in Swanscombe. This incident was recorded on the enforcement officers body-worn camera, but the FPN was put on hold whilst we awaited proof.
‘The first letter sent to someone who has not paid a FPN is a ‘first reminder’ – the actual FPN is issued to the offender at the time of the offence. This reminder letter was sent to the address and name given by the person to whom the FPN was issued.
‘Our enforcement team requested a current photo of Ms Walton and upon receiving it was compared to the person in the footage. It was found it was not Ms Walton and the FPN has now been cancelled. We’re investigating into who the offender is.’
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