A UK man was recently fined £2,270 (around ₹2.8 lakh) after throwing a parking ticket at a female civil enforcement officer’s face and later crumpling it up and throwing it towards her.
According to a report by Metro, Stephen Lang, 58, from Cornwall, was initially issued a parking ticket for parking outside a marked bay. However, instead of accepting the ticket, he removed it from his vehicle’s windscreen and threw it at the officer's face before walking away.
Moments later, Lang approached the officer again as she retrieved the ticket from the ground and attempted to put it back on his vehicle. He removed it once more, crumpled it up and threw it in the officer’s direction.
The incident was captured by the officer’s body-worn camera and CCTV cameras covering the car park.
According to Cornwall Council, Lang was initially found guilty of littering on November 20, 2025. He was issued a £250 (Around ₹32,000) Fixed Penalty Notice, which he failed to pay despite receiving a reminder and a warning that the matter could be referred for prosecution.
The case was heard at Truro Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday. Lang did not attend the hearing and was found guilty in his absence.
{{/usCountry}}The case was heard at Truro Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday. Lang did not attend the hearing and was found guilty in his absence.
{{/usCountry}}Court orders the man to pay £2,270
The court ordered him to pay a £250 fine, £1,920.90 in costs and a £100 victim surcharge, bringing the total amount to £2,270.90.
Cllr Thalia Marrington, Cornwall Council’s cabinet member for community safety and public health, condemned Lang’s behaviour. “It is both unacceptable to litter and to be aggressive to an officer doing her job,” she said.
“We will not tolerate any abuse towards our officers,” she added.
Notably, the UK fine for street littering is a default £100 Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN), which local authorities can set between £65 and £500. Civil penalties or FPNs for throwing rubbish out of a car also range up to £500.
If an FPN is ignored or the case is contested in magistrates' court, the maximum fine climbs up to £2,500.