Town hall officials have apologised for issuing an £80 fine to a grandmother after a toddler dropped some crisps on to a pavement.

Barbara Jubb, from York Road, Crawley, collected 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, as reported in yesterday's Argus.

Mrs Jubb, 57, was spotted by two over-zealous council wardens and issued with an £80 onthe- spot fine for dropping litter in Broadwalk, Crawley.

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A spokesman for Crawley Borough Council said the fine was rescinded after managers accepted the wardens had been overzealous.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, executive portfolio holder for leisure and cultural services, said: "We have apologised to the family for being overzealous and are happy to have cancelled the fine.

"However, we make no apology for targeting people making a mess of our streets. People have a responsibility not to drop litter.

"Littering annoys the vast majority of residents who use litter bins or take their rubbish home with them," she added.