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Two Indian-origin men were fined £1,391 each by authorities in the London borough of Brent after failing to pay an on-spot fine for spitting pan in public and failing to appear in court. Brent City Council spent £30,000 a year on cleaning paan stains and is running a zero-tolerance campaign against paan-spitting in public spaces.
According to the Brent City Council, paan spitting causes serious health and environmental damage and costs the city £30,000 a year to clean. (Image for Representation: File)
New Delhi,UPDATED: Mar 19, 2026 12:31 IST
Two Indian-origin men have been hit with hefty fines of £1,391 each by authorities in the London borough of Brent for spitting paan juice in public, reported the UK-based local news outlet, Harrow Online. The city council has launched a campaign against paan-spitting that officials say is defacing public spaces and straining civic resources. The Brent City Council spent £30,000 a year on cleaning paan stains, according to reports.
According to the Harrow Online report, the penalties were imposed after both men failed to pay initial on-the-spot fines of £100, prompting legal action that significantly increased the financial consequences. The case is a part of what officials call the borough's "zero-tolerance" policy towards what it describes a persistent and costly nuisance.
According to the report, Akshitkumar Bhadre Patel, a resident of the town of Edgware, was fined by the North West London Magistrates' Court for spitting paan on Kingsbury Road near a local metro station in June 2025. Patel did not attend his court hearing and the case was decided in his absence, His faliure to settle the original fine resulted in the penalty escalating more than tenfold.
In a similar instance, Hitesh Patel, a resident of the suburb of Ruislip, was also fined £1,391 for spitting paan on Wembley Hill Road. Like the first case, he too failed to appear before the court, resulting in a conviction in absentia, and a steep increase in the fine.
The enforcement drive comes amid growing concern over paan-spitting across parts of north-west London, including Brent and neighbouring Harrow, where the issue has drawn widespread attention. According to a BBC report citing local authorities, the stains left behind are not only unsightly but also expensive and difficult to remove, often requiring specialised cleaning methods.
Brent Council spends more than £30,000 a year cleaning paan stains from pavements and buildings, reported the BBC. The city has adopted a "zero-tolerance approach," including banners in hotspots, patrols by enforcement officers, and fixed penalty notices up to £100 for those caught spitting paan.
Harrow Online reported Councillor Krupa Sheth, Cabinet Member for Public Realm and Enforcement, has reiteriating the council’s tough stance, saying the administration is determined to hold offenders accountable.
"We're continuing our zero-tolerance approach to those who ruin our streets, that includes spitters of paan who stain street furniture," she said.
"Every fine we dish out is a clear statement to offenders: if you mess up our streets, we will find you and you will pay. That is why I am delighted that we have doubled the amount of fines that we have handed out in the last year." She added, "Don't mess with Brent because we have had enough."
Officials have made it clear that ignoring initial penalties will almost certainly lead to prosecution and much higher fines, as demonstrated in these recent cases.
- Ends
Published By:
Shounak Sanyal
Published On:
Mar 19, 2026 12:31 IST
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