Search icon

News

21st Jul 2017

Council apologises for issuing £150 fine for 5-year-old girl’s lemonade stand

No, really...

Simon Lloyd

Rules are rules, and apply to everyone.

Don’t dare forget this, even if you’re only a small child.

But don’t take it from us – take it from the five-year-old girl who learned this lesson the hard way after deciding to set up a lemonade stand during the Love Box festival in London last weekend.

Having sold 50p cups of lemonade to festival goers, the child’s father was hit with a £150 fine by the local council for trading without a licence.

“She just wanted to put a smile on people’s faces. She was really proud of herself,” Andre Spicer, the girl’s father explained to the BBC.

“But after a small time trading, four enforcement officers walked over from the other side of the road.

“I was quite shocked. I thought that they would just tell us to pack up and go home.

“But they turned on their mobile camera and began reading from a big script explaining that she did not have a trading licence.

“My daughter clung to me screaming ‘daddy, daddy, I’ve done a bad thing.’ She’s five.

“We were then issued a fine of £150. We packed up and walked home.”

Fortunately, Tower Hamlets Council have since seen sense, cancelling the fine and issuing an apology.

“We are very sorry that this has happened,” a council spokesperson said. “We expect our enforcement officers to show common sense and to use their powers sensibly.

“This clearly did not happen. The fine will be cancelled immediately and we have contacted Mr Spicer and his daughter to apologise.”

Topics:

London,Love Box