Officials "very sorry" for fining little girl over lemonade stand
LONDON -- A British man and his young daughter have gained international attention after being fined for selling lemonade outside.
Andre Spicer said his 5-year-old daughter was left in tears after local council officers fined her 150 pounds ($195) for selling lemonade without a license near their home in London.
The girl was selling home-made lemonade to fans attending the Lovebox festival when she was fined.
Spicer wrote an article about the experience for the Daily Telegraph that gathered hundreds of comments and shares online.
He said his daughter had loved the idea of setting up a lemonade stand near their home to cater to festival goers.
"She just wanted to put a smile on people's faces. She was really proud of herself," he said, according to BBC News.
Spicer said his daughter burst into tears when the local trading enforcement officers approached them, clinging to her father and telling him, "I've done a bad thing".
Officials with the London borough of Tower Hamlets said Friday that the fine would be cancelled immediately.
"We are very sorry that this has happened. We expect our enforcement officers to show common sense, and to use their powers sensibly. This clearly did not happen," the council said in a statement.
