A Lincolnshire pensioner is anxious to leave his house after being fined $575 for spitting out a leaf that had blown into his mouth.

Roy Marsh, 86, was walking in a Skegness car park when he was approached by two enforcement officers, according to the Daily Mail.

“As I was sitting there, a gale blew a big reed into my mouth. I spat it out and just as I got up to walk away two guys came up to me.”

He told the officers he had been a “silly boy” as they confronted him about the spitting, earning himself a whopping £250 ($575) fine for the offence.

“It was something that could have happened to anyone. It’s left me anxious about going out.

“I’ve been back there filming for the local TV news, and it was windy again - a leaf smacked me right in the face while we were walking so it could have happened again today.”

While the penalty was reduced to £150 (NZ$345) on appeal, his wife Anne was disappointed a reprimand had even been given in the first place.

“Roy didn’t spit - how many 86-year-olds do you know who go around spitting? It’s a dirty habit.

“This really upset him. We’ve watched these officers approach many older people since. It’s like they are bullies.”

On November 2, their daughter Jane Marsh Fitzpatrick posted to Facebook, detailing a second incident in which her father was seemingly being observed by the officers while removing a tissue from his pocket.

“Mum and dad now regularly watch these officers, and have seen them many times victimising older people,” she wrote.

Skegness county councillor Adrian Findley told the BBC enforcement officers are “taking it too far”.

“There needs to be discretion about how they issue fines. We can’t expect elderly people to chase crisp packers down the road if it’s windy.

“If it looks like a genuine accident then give people opportunity to apologise and pick it up.”