Two women have been ordered to pay almost £1800 for urinating in a busy area of Shrewsbury town centre, behaviour which is prohibited under the Shrewsbury Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO).
In a prosecution brought by Shropshire Council, at Telford Magistrates Court on Monday 20 April [2026] Lorraine Griffiths was ordered to pay a fine of £220, a victims surcharge of £88 and costs of £1329.75 – a total of £1637.75
Emma Kettle was fined £40 and ordered to pay a contribution towards costs of £85 – a total of £125.
The court heard that on 27 August 2025, Shrewsbury Town Rangers witnessed Ms Kettle and Ms Griffiths urinating in a public place within the restricted zone of the PSPO. Public toilet facilities were available nearby at the time.
Following the incident, Ms Kettle was issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice as an opportunity to resolve the matter without court action. However, having initially agreed to a payment plan no payments were made, and she later failed to respond to further correspondence or formal interview questions. As a result of non-payment and her no longer engaging with the investigation the matter was progressed to court.
Ms Griffiths also breached the PSPO during the same incident by urinating in a public place within the restricted area of the town centre. She was issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice and given the opportunity to resolve the matter without court proceedings. However, the notice was not paid, and no response or engagement was received from her at any stage of the investigation, despite attempts to contact her. As a result of non-payment and failure to engage, the matter was progressed to court.
Bernie Bentick, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for health and public protection said:
“The Shrewsbury PSPO was introduced to address anti-social behaviour in the town centre, including urinating in public, and this case serves as an important reminder that any breaches of the PSPO can lead to fines and possible court action.”
