A birthday outing in Manchester ended in disbelief for Sam Ekins, 23, from Huddersfield.On March 9, Sam and her partner were sitting outside a McDonald’s in Piccadilly Gardens enjoying a burrito when a pigeon approached their table. Without thinking twice, Sam tore off a small piece of tortilla and threw it on the ground for the bird to eat.Before long, however, the move became costly.An enforcement officer approached the couple and issued Sam a £150 fixed penalty notice for littering.
“The food is gone”
Sam said the piece of food had been eaten by the pigeon before police could reach it.“The food was gone before he even got to us,” she said. “I pointed to the ground and told him there was nothing left.”The situation left her visibly shaken. Sam said the encounter was frightening, particularly because her partner was a wheelchair user and the officer was of large stature.“It was horrific. I’m short, the officer was over six feet, and my partner was in a wheelchair. I felt very vulnerable in that moment,” Aikins was quoted as saying by BBC News.
‘I thought it was just a warning’
Sam insisted she had no idea feeding birds could be considered a crime. Growing up in Southport, she said feeding birds always seemed harmless.“I didn’t think much of it. I used to feed the birds all the time,” she said. She also claimed she thought the officer was merely issuing a warning when he asked for her identification.“As soon as he got my details, that’s it. Suddenly he was fined £150.”
Limited budget
The penalties hit the couple particularly hard.Sam said they had recently moved to Huddersfield and were currently working on a tight budget while decorating their new home. Her partner is disabled, unable to work and living on benefits.“We’re basically living on one income now,” she said. “It feels unbelievable to be fined like this for feeding birds.”The pair have since launched a GoFundMe page to help pay the fine while contesting the notice.
Afraid of returning to Manchester
The experience also made Sam anxious about visiting the city again.“I’m scared to go out in Manchester right now,” she was quoted as saying by the Manchester Evening News. “I felt like I might have broken a law that I’d never heard of.
Council’s response
Manchester City Council insists that throwing food on the ground – whether it’s birds or other food – is considered littering.A spokesman said if enforcement officers witnessed such an offense a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) could be issued.The council also said food waste attracts pests and damages public spaces.However, officials confirmed that Sam’s case has now been put on hold and her situation is under review.“Residents and visitors have a shared responsibility to help keep Manchester clean and green,” the spokesman said.The incident sparked a wider debate online about strict enforcement of littering rules and whether common behaviors such as bird feeding should be punished harshly.
