This Evil must be stamped out (but remember to pick up the pieces and put them nicely in your pocket)

A grandmother has been fined £80 - for dropping two Quavers on the pavement.

Red-faced officials later apologised for issuing the on-the-spot fine, blaming it on "overzealous" council wardens.

Barbara Jubb picked up a packet of Quavers dropped by her 20-month-old granddaughter Emily, but failed to pick up two stray crisps that fell on the ground.

The 57-year-old was spotted by two eagle-eyed wardens in Crawley, West Sussex, who fined her for dropping litter.

She said: "I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"Emily had a packet of Quavers in her hands and dropped it by mistake, two of the crisps fell out, so I picked up the bag and kicked the crisps into the gutter.

"It was raining so they were already wet and starting to disintegrate. I didn't think anything of it.

"Then two people with clipboards came up to me, I thought they were canvassers at first. But they said they were going to fine me for littering.

"They wrote down 'kicking two crisps' as the offence. People were standing around laughing nearby. It is just unbelievable."

A spokesman for Crawley Borough Council said the fine was rescinded after managers accepted the wardens had been overzealous.

Councillor Beryl Mecrow said: "We have apologised to the family for being overzealous and are happy to have cancelled the fine."