A council has apologised after two enforcement officers ‘lay in wait’ before pouncing on two mourners outside a funeral home and fined them for throwing away cigarette butts.
Ann Bentley was chased inside the home and fined £80 along with friend John Harpur after being accused of throwing away cigarette butts by the two officers.
The pair say they had placed their butts in two flower pots and had been left ‘disgusted’ by their treatment outside the home in Burnley, Lancashire.
A council has apologised after two enforcement officers ‘lay in wait’ before pouncing on two mourners outside a funeral home and fined them for throwing away cigarette butts
CCTV footage shows the two officers pull up in a car opposite the Alderson and Horan funeral home after spotting the pair smoking outside.
They then run towards the couple when they have finished their cigarettes to accuse them of littering.
Today Burnley Council confirmed it had apologised and waive the fixed penalty notices.
Ann Bentley was chased inside the home and fined £80 along with friend John Harpur after being accused of throwing away cigarette butts by the two officers
The pair had been attending the funeral of their friend, Dougie Wise, 73, at the funeral home last Thursday, before following the funeral cortege to Burnley Cemetery.
But as they smoked outside, CCTV shows how they attracted the attention of two council enforcement officers who’d parked their car on the other side of the road.
As Ms Bentley and Mr Harpur finish their cigarettes, the officers jump out of the car and run across the road – with one chasing after Ann through the entrance of the home – before issuing the fines.
Ms Bentley said: ‘John and I had just wanted a quick cigarette before going inside the funeral home.
‘We finished smoking and left the butts in two plant containers by the doorway and out of nowhere the two enforcement officers appeared.
‘They must have lay in wait because they came after us so fast.
Ms Bentley and Mr Harpur say they had placed their butts in two flower pots and had been left ‘disgusted’ by their treatment outside the home in Burnley, Lancashire
‘One officer spoke to John first and accused us of littering, saying we’d dropped our butts on the pavement and not in the plant pots.
‘I’d already gone inside by this point but the other officer just came chasing after me.
‘I couldn’t believe it when she told me I was being handed an £80 fine.
‘I think it’s disgusting the way we were treated. How low can you go picking on mourners at a funeral?’
Mr Harpur, 68, said the enforcement officers had refused to listen when he said the cigarette butts had not been dropped on the floor.
‘I’m disgusted they chose to hang around outside a funeral home,’ he said.
The pair had been attending the funeral of their friend, Dougie Wise, 73, at the funeral home last Thursday, before following the funeral cortege to Burnley Cemetery. Pictured: One of the officers chased Ms Bentley through the door of the funeral home
‘I’ve sent a strongly-worded letter to the council and I expect the two enforcement officers to be disciplined.’
Steve Alderson, manager of the funeral home, slammed the ‘over-the-top’ actions of the two officers.
‘How can it be littering when those plant pots belong to us?’ he said. ‘They’re private property.
‘Fining mourners, who may already be traumatised by losing a friend or a relative, isn’t good.
Mr Harpur, 68, said the enforcement officers had refused to listen when he said the cigarette butts had not been dropped on the floor
‘It’s shocking one of the officers decided to chase after Ann inside the home.
‘It’s so disrespectful and I’ve told the council exactly how I feel.’
Burnley Council has since apologised and cancelled the fines.
A spokesman said: ‘We resolved this situation as soon as we were made aware of the matter and, in accordance with our procedures, the FPNs were immediately cancelled.
‘We apologise to the two people involved for any upset this caused and we’ve sent flowers to Ann as a way of saying sorry.’