A WOMAN was handed a £125 fine last week after she threw a piece of bread on the ground to “feed the birds”.

Mum-of-two Rhiannon Smothers was eating a Greggs roll in the car at the Cwmtillery Lakes car park on Thursday morning when she threw a piece out of the window for the birds, she says.

Two uniformed council wardens then appeared and handed the Cwmtillery 30-year-old the fine for littering.

“I think it’s absolutely disgraceful,” added Mrs Smothers. “I have a bag in the car especially for rubbish, but it’s bread, the rain would’ve washed it away. I was very rude to the officers, but I was so fuming.”

She couldn’t see any signs not to feed birds and didn’t see where the officers came from, said Mrs Smothers, but did admit throwing bread again in front of the officers after being given the fine.

“I then put it in the bin, but it was too late,” she said. “It’s the dearest roll I’ve ever had.

“I take my kids up there every single day to feed the ducks. I’ve always thrown food for birds. If I had tipped water out of a bottle would they have given me a fine?

“Bread dissolves,” she said. “As far as they are concerned it’s litter. I am going to protest the fine. I’m a recycler. If it was a cigarette, I’d pay.”

A Blaenau Gwent council spokeswoman said: “We have reviewed the circumstances of the incident and remain satisfied that an offence of littering was committed and that the issuing of a fixed penalty notice was appropriate. The person in receipt of the fine is entitled to appeal.”