GB News presenter Patrick Christys has contested a £500 spot fine for littering, which he received after dropping a cigarette butt out of his car window in Nottingham. Christys maintained the incident was accidental and that he was "entrapped" by a civil enforcement officer.
According to Christys, he was on the phone when he dropped the cigarette and had intended to pick it up and dispose of it properly. He recounted that a uniformed officer approached his vehicle, body camera activated, and questioned him about the cigarette. Christys stated he offered to put the butt in a bin immediately, but the officer insisted it was still an offense.
The enforcement officer, from contractor Waste Investigations Support and Enforcement, issued the £500 fixed penalty notice, with a reduced rate of £100 if paid within 14 days. The fine could escalate to £2,500 if unpaid.
Christys questioned how it could be a crime if he had not attempted to leave the scene and was about to dispose of the butt. He claimed the officer stated that by retrieving the cigarette from the ground, he had admitted it was his. Christys accused the officer of entrapment, and he later sought legal advice.
Ultimately, Christys decided to pay the fine to avoid further escalation. He also claimed to have observed individuals smoking cannabis nearby later that day, who were seemingly ignored by the same enforcement officer.
A spokesperson for Broxtowe Council stated that while they could not comment on individual cases, individuals issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice have the right to challenge it. The council confirmed that environmental enforcement is conducted by a third-party contractor on its behalf, with action taken for littering and other environmental offenses under the Environmental Protection Act.