Gran fined £100 for setting up a table in the street because it broke Asbo law

A grandmother could be left with court costs of up to £1,000 for setting up a camping table in a city centre.

Heather Rawling was campaigning against council cuts in Leicester and had set up a 6ft (2m) camping table to hold leaflets and petitions.

The 72-year-old was approached by a warden within around 30 minutes who ordered her to dismantle it – but when she said no, she was handed a fine.

Heather was told the table was in breach of a public spaces protection order (PSPO), which are designed to reduce anti-social behaviour like street drinking, riding e-bikes, and using loud speakers.

But the gran-of-one, a member of the Socialist Party, fears the additional rules against tables and other ‘unauthorised structures’ are designed to suppress freedom of speech and political campaigning.

She explained: ‘We were in the city centre and had a little campaign stall where we were protesting against the cuts by Leicester city council.

‘I accept the PSPO can be needed to deal with people on e-bikes, noisy speakers or street drinkers.

‘But this was a small camping table which we had for leaflets and so people could sign a petition.

‘I firmly stood my ground as I feel this is an attack on people’s rights to campaign.

‘There are people up and down the county who do campaign stalls and tables everywhere.

‘All I had was a camping table two metres long in a wide pedestrian area. I don’t think we were in anybody’s way. There was plenty of space.

‘I was not obstructing anybody, I wasn’t causing a nuisance. The council might think I’m a nuisance, but in terms of passers by and pedestrians, they didn’t care at all.

‘The warden asked me if I was aware of the PSPO and explained what it was and asked me if I was prepared to take the stall table down.

‘He asked for my details and I was reluctant to at first. He even said he would call the police so I gave him my information.

‘He issued me with a fixed penalty notice.

‘I think this was political – we were asked to take it down because we were campaigning about council cuts.’

Three days after the incident on May 31 Heather, a gran-of-one, received a fine of £100 in the post.

She has vowed to plead not guilty and fight the fine in court – but she reckons she could be £1,000 out of pocket if she loses.

She explained: ‘The danger is if I lost in court, they could charge court costs. I am taking a risk, but I feel strongly about this issue.

‘I’m not going to pay it on principle, and if I have to go to court, I will.

‘All groups should have a right to campaign.

‘The council issued the PSPO order that includes amplification, people on e-bikes and e-scooters. At the end of the order they’ve tagged on unauthorised structures like stall tables.

‘We are in an era full of austerity and cutbacks and despite more and people getting angry about what’s happening they don’t want us to protest about it.’

A Leicester city council spokesperson said: ‘This group had put up a table, in breach of the Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) that covers the city centre.

‘One of our wardens asked them to take down the table and advised that if they didn’t, they would be issued with a fixed penalty notice.

‘They refused to take it down and so a fine was issued.

‘The PSPO does not restrict freedom of speech, but it does restrict the nuisance of amplifiers, gazebos and other structures that more than 1,100 respondents to our consultation told us negatively impacted their experience of Leicester city centre.

‘Many groups have been respectful of this so far and, as a result, the environment in the city centre is noticeably improved.’

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