Mum slapped with £80 fine for littering after her kids fed pigeons crumbs from their sausage rolls

A mum has been slapped with an £80 fine after her children fed crumbs to city centre pigeons.

Katie Trudgill, 31, was penalised for ‘littering’ after a council worker spotted her two children scatter crumbs from their sausage rolls for the birds.

The mum was enjoying a quick bite to eat after a shopping trip with five-year-old Amelia and three-year-old Finley.

But as the three were tucking into their snacks the two children emptied their bags of crumbs for the birds. Their mum then said she put their empty bags in a bin.

But the family were accosted by a Bradford council worker in West Yorks., who accused them of littering.

Katie, of Ravenscliffe, near Halifax, West Yorks., said: “They had bits of pastry at the bottom of their bags and they have tipped it out to the pigeons.

“I didn’t know anything about it, or else I would not have let my kids do it.

“They were just tipping out to the pigeons, no rubbish was on the floor as I had taken the bags off them and put them in the bin.

“When he came over, there was nothing on the floor, as there were that many pigeons - on the ticket receipt it says ‘I believe’ rather than ‘I witnessed’ her doing it.”

Katie claims there are no signs saying that it is a littering offence.

Adding: “Most people have said ‘go to court’ and whatever, but I really don’t want to do that. I might just have to pay it.”

Bradford Council recently launched its ‘Eyes’ campaign in partnership with the Tidy Britain Group in a bid to stop people littering around the district.

Fines of £80 can be given and it aims to tackle the problem of people littering on Bradford’s pavements and roads.

The private firm 3GS was brought in by Bradford Council in a bid to get tough on litter louts - and that would include feeding birds.

However, 3GS managing director Paul Buttivant confirmed his staff would be trained to discern an honest mistake from a deliberate crime of feeding the birds.

At the time, he said: “If somebody drops something out of their jacket pocket, or their child drops something, officers would say, ‘Sorry, but you just dropped that’.”

A Bradford City Council spokesperson said: “Feeding pigeons in the city centre is discouraged as it can attract vermin and then makes the streets and buildings dirty. It is classed as a littering offence.

“People who receive a Fixed Penalty Notice for dropping litter can appeal the fine and there are comprehensive instructions on Bradford Council’s website about how to do this.”