“I’m scared to go out in Manchester now because I feel like I’m going to break a law that I don’t even know about”
05:15, 13 Mar 2026Updated 06:33, 13 Mar 2026
Sam Ekins, 23
A woman says has been left afraid to go out in Manchester in case she ‘breaks a law she’s never heard of’ after being slapped with a £150 fine in Piccadilly Gardens.
Sam Ekins, 23, and her partner were eating outside McDonald’s on Monday (March 9), when they were approached by enforcement officers. They had been visiting the city to celebrate her birthday.
And the pair, who recently moved to Huddersfield, said they had no idea they may have been breaking the law when they decided to share a small piece of food with a bird in the street.
“It was our first time out and we don’t know the area,” she told the Manchester Evening News. “We were sitting eating, when a pigeon came up to us so we gave it some of the food we were eating. I thought it was just a normal thing to do.”
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Sam said two enforcement officers approached them shortly after and asked if they were aware that discarding food on the ground was an offence.
“I tried to explain that we were new to the area. There were no signs around, no warning, no anything to indicate that we weren’t supposed to feed the birds,” she said.
They were close to McDonald’s on Piccadilly Gardens when the enforcement officers approached(Image: M.E.N.)
Sam initially thought the officer was planning to let them off with a warning. But she was then was asked for identification and told she would be issued with an on-the-spot fine.
The charge, she says, was £150 for “discarding food”.
“As there were two of us, he said he would let us off with just the one fine,” she said.
The couple have since set up a GoFundMe page to help cover the penalty, while they attempt to appeal it. Sam shared that the pair are currently living off a single working income, while her partner receives disability benefits.
“We are only really living on one working income at the minute and because we recently moved, we’re struggling,” she said. “My partner cant work because of their disability and are relying on my income and any sort of benefit we can get to help with their disability but that’s supposed to go on things like mobility aid and medications.”
She added the experience has left her feeling uneasy about visiting the city centre again. She added: “I’m scared to go out in Manchester now because I feel like I’m going to break a law that I don’t even know about.”
The pair had been in Manchester celebrating a birthday(Image: Sam Ekins)
According to Manchester City Council, fixed-penalty notices can be issued for offences like littering, dog-fouling and graffiti. Failure to pay the notice within the specified timeframe may result in the case being taken into court and a larger fine could be imposed.
A Manchester City Council spokesperson said: “The throwing of rubbish, including items of food, is classed as littering and where appropriate, enforcement officers will issue a Fixed Penalty Notice if an offence is observed. Signage has also been installed in some areas warning against dropping food for the purposes of feeding pigeons or other birds.
“A Fixed Penalty Notice gives someone the option to deal with the alleged offence by paying the set fine, therefore avoiding prosecution through the courts and potentially, a much higher fine.
“Since receiving the Fixed Penalty Notice, Ms. Ekins has contacted the Customer Services team and we can confirm that the matter has been placed on hold, so her case and circumstances can be fully considered.”
“Littering of this type attracts vermin and can harm the amenity of Manchester’s public open spaces. Residents and visitors to the city have a shared responsibility in supporting our efforts to make the city cleaner and greener.”
Sam said she wished clear signage was put in place to make people aware of the rules and the fines that could come with breaking them.