A woman in the United Kingdom was left stunned after receiving a penalty notice for littering a cigarette in a village nearly 300 kilometers from her home—a place she claims she hasn’t visited in decades. Natalie Walton was accused of dropping a cigarette in Swanscombe, Kent, according to a notice sent to her parents’ address. Dated November 12, the notice stated that a Dartford Council officer witnessed the act, which was also recorded on camera on October 29. It imposed a £75 (Rs 8,082) fine and warned she could face court and a fine of up to £2,500 (Rs 2,69,410) if convicted.
Refuting the accusations, Walton emphasized she is a non-smoker and had not been to Kent for months. “Dartford Council were trying to fine me £75 for something I was not even there to do. 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,” she told KentOnline. She suspected identity theft or a flaw in the council’s security measures, saying, “I feel like a complete victim of fraud.”
To prove her claims, Walton presented bank transaction records showing she was shopping in Staffordshire at B&M and Tesco during the alleged incident. After reviewing the evidence, Dartford Council canceled her fixed penalty notice (FPN). “When I saw the email, I was relieved and felt so much less stressed, but I still have no idea how they thought it was me,” she said.
The council explained that the actual offender had provided false details, leading to the mix-up. “Our enforcement team requested a current photo of Ms Walton, and upon receiving it, it was compared to the person in the footage. It was found it was not Ms Walton, and the FPN has now been canceled,” they clarified.
