My son was fined £500 just for dropping a cigarette butt

He said he was forcibly stopped from picking it up and promptly issued with the fixed-penalty notice

My son was fined £500 after dropping a cigarette butt in Southwark, London. He says the enforcement officer physically prevented him from picking it up, and told him he would escape a fine if he provided ID, and the police would be called if he didn’t. He complied and was promptly issued with a fixed-penalty notice (FPN).

However, £500 is more than a typical fine for a dangerous offence such as speeding.