A woman has been fined for dropping a Greggs paper bag - more than a decade ago

A woman has been fined for littering - more than 10 years ago.

Over a decade ago, Grace Firth tucked into a snack from Greggs, and somehow the paper bag ended up on the ground instead of the bin. Now 32, the student from Stockport found herself in court with a littering charge.

Firth pleaded guilty to the offence, and was ordered to pay £40 by Stockport Magistrates’ Court.

She was also handed a £15 victim surcharge on Tuesday (25 Feb), a spokesperson for the court said. Firth was reportedly convicted in her absence in August 2009 and fined £175, as well as being charged £180 for a costs order.

A 'historical debt'

According to the BBC, Firth told Stockport Magistrates' Court the first she'd heard about the whole incident was when she got a letter on 8 December 2019, regarding an "historical debt".

She told the court that all previous letters had been sent to her mother’s house, where post addressed to her was either thrown away or returned to the sender. Even though Firth claimed she knew nothing of the proceedings she pleaded guilty to the original charge of littering.

On Tuesday (25 Feb), magistrates accepted Firth's explanation and decided to cancel the original £180 costs order. Her fine was reduced to £40 (plus the victim surcharge) by Stockport Magistrates’ Court.

“Thank you for being so honest and for turning up,” Edward Tasker, the chairman, reportedly said.

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