10 mars 2008
Man's cigarette butt court row
A smoker was taken to court - for dropping ash in the street.
Daniel Slaney, 28, was pounced on by eager council wardens as he walked to work.
They gave him a £40 ticket under anti-litter laws, claiming he had dumped a cigarette butt.
But 20-a-day Daniel, of Nottingham, insisted he always put his butts in an empty fag packet.
Magistrates in Ilkeston, Derbs, believed his story and cleared him of a charge under the Clean Neighbourhoods Act, accusing the wardens of "over-zealous officialdom".
Daniel said later: "I always carry an old cigarette packet to put my butts in.
"I hate people dropping cigarette ends - it's one of my pet peeves."