‘I’m scared to go out in Manchester now’: UK woman fined £150 after feeding pigeon piece of McDonald’s wrap

What began as a birthday outing on March 9 in Piccadilly Gardens, Manchester, ended with 23-year-old Sam Ekins from Huddersfield being issued a £150 fixed penalty notice for littering after she tore off a small piece of tortilla and dropped it for a pigeon.

“What began as a birthday outing in Manchester ended in disbelief for 23-year-old Sam Ekins from Huddersfield”

The Times of India

An enforcement officer approached the couple and issued the notice, and Sam says the pigeons had eaten the food “before he’d even approached us.”

The Times of India

She told reporters she pointed to the ground and told the officer there was nothing left.

Sam says the encounter left her scared and intimidated, noting the officer was over six foot and her partner is a wheelchair user, which made her feel vulnerable.

She said she believed the officer was issuing only a warning when he asked for her identification and complained that “as soon as he took my details, that was it. Suddenly it was a £150 fine.”

The Times of India

Sam also said she had always fed birds and “didn’t think twice about it.”

Living on a tight budget after recently moving to Huddersfield, the couple rely on one income because her partner, who is disabled, cannot work, and the penalty has prompted them to launch a GoFundMe to help cover the fine while they challenge the notice.

Manchester City Council said dropping food on the ground—whether for birds or otherwise—counts as littering and that enforcement officers may issue a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) if they witness such an offence, adding that food litter can attract vermin and damage public spaces.

“What began as a birthday outing in Manchester ended in disbelief for 23-year-old Sam Ekins from Huddersfield”

The Times of India

Council officials confirmed Sam’s case is currently on hold while her circumstances are reviewed and reiterated that “Residents and visitors have a shared responsibility to help keep Manchester clean and green.”

The incident has sparked wider online debate about strict enforcement of littering rules and whether common acts like feeding birds should attract steep penalties.