A woman has been handcuffed and slapped with a £100 fine after feeding pigeons on Wealdstone High Street in Harrow, London.
Footage recorded by a bystander captured the moment she was surrounded by at least six police officers and two council enforcement workers during the incident on Wednesday.
The woman, who appeared visibly distressed at points during the encounter, was subsequently placed inside a police van before being released.
A fixed penalty notice handed to her confirmed the offence as “throwing bread on the floor”, constituting a breach of local regulations governing public spaces.
According to the notice, the woman had initially been warned by enforcement officers about her behaviour but chose not to comply, prompting them to contact the police.
Harrow Council operates multiple Public Spaces Protection Orders across the borough, with the Town and District Centres PSPO explicitly prohibiting the “feeding of birds and vermin”.
A man filming the incident could be heard repeatedly stating: “The lady is getting arrested for feeding the pigeons.”
Multiple passersby stopped during the encounter to express concern about the woman’s detention, questioning why handcuffs had been used for such an offence.
The woman was subsequently placed inside a police van
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YOUTUBE / THE FOOL CATCHER
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson confirmed the circumstances of the arrest, stating: “At around 14:30hrs on Wednesday, January 7, officers were approached by local council enforcement officers dealing with an anti-social behaviour incident on Wealdstone High Street, Harrow.
“A woman, in her 40s, was repeatedly asked to provide her name and address so that a fixed penalty notice could be issued.
“After speaking with officers for around 20 minutes, she repeatedly refused to provide her personal details.
“She was arrested on suspicion of breaching Section 50 of the Police Reform Act, which requires people to provide their name and address when requested to do so by the police.
Six officers were present at the arrest of the woman
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YOUTUBE / THE FOOL CATCHER
“Her details were later obtained, and she was de-arrested and dealt with by council officers.”
Harrow Council told GB News: “There was a breach of the Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) relating to bird feeding.
“The individual refused to provide their details, which is an offence, and also refused to stop feeding pigeons when asked to do so.
“Our PSPO is in place to help keep our streets clean and safe for everyone and anyone found breaching these faces £100 fixed penalty notice.”
She was handed a fixed penalty notice with a £100 fine
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YOUTUBE / THE FOOL CATCHER
The fixed penalty notice warned that failure to pay the £100 fine within 28 days could result in a summons to appear before a magistrates’ court.
Breaching a Public Spaces Protection Order can lead to prosecution, with courts able to impose penalties of up to £1,000.
Beyond banning the feeding of wildlife, Harrow’s PSPO also prohibits aggressive begging, obstructing business entrances during trading hours, and dumping commercial waste in public areas.
Activities, including using loudspeakers and distributing leaflets, require prior authorisation under the order.
While council officers typically enforce these regulations, police involvement becomes necessary when individuals refuse to cooperate with enforcement staff.
