Support quality, independent, local journalism…that matters

From just £1 a month you can help fund our work – and use our website without adverts. Become a member today

An elderly couple fined £75 for letting their dog off its lead while litter picking, should be refunded by the council, according to Plaid Cymru group leader Lindsay Whittle.

David and Janice Chapman, aged 81 and 79, were picking up rubbish, as they often do, from a green space behind their house near Virginia Park on Monday June 5.

As they were doing so, Mr and Mrs Chapman were approached by two council wardens who handed them a fine after their dog, Molly, was off its lead near a sports pitch.

Councillor Lindsay Whittle, who has written to the council, said: “This incident calls for a bit of plain common sense. As I understand it, the couple regularly pick up litter when walking in Virginia Park. They are doing a good public service.

“Of course, it is important that action is taken to ensure dog owners do not foul playing fields. But in this case it seems disproportionate for Mr and Mrs Chapman to be slapped with a £75 fine.

“I hope the council officers will reflect on this matter and revoke the fine and refund them the £75 fine. The council should not be taking any action to discourage publicly spirited members of the public from picking up litter.”

Speaking to Caerphilly Observer about the incident, Mr Chapman said: “We were well aware that you’re not allowed dogs off their lead near the playing field but he only followed Jan because she found some plastic bottles laying on the floor.

“As Jan was there with a bag full of rubbish, two wardens came up to us and said they’d be fining us. I couldn’t believe it.

“I said to them that surely because we were helping them out by litter picking they could let us off with a warning, but they weren’t having any of it.

“At one point, Jan bent down to pick up a bottle and the warden stopped her and said ‘don’t do that whilst I’m talking to you’.”

Mr Chapman continued: “The wardens refused to even acknowledge we were picking the rubbish up, which was our whole argument really.

“We’ve been picking up rubbish here for years but this is their last. We’ll collect the stuff by our house but that’s it, we’re done.”

The couple were initially handed a £100 fine but had that reduced to £75 after paying it on the same day.

They wrote to the council to appeal the decision, but were sent a letter back saying that they had clearly committed an offence.