A non-smoker has criticised "intimidating" enforcement officers who wrongly accused her of throwing a cigarette butt from her car window.

Angela Bellas, 46, says she was made to feel "like a criminal" by wardens who led her from Morrisons in Wincheap, Canterbury, where she was shopping.

Private firm National Enforcement Solutions (NES) has reviewed bodyworn camera footage and says its officers dealt with the incident "professionally".

But the mum says the "embarrassing" incident felt "like a walk of shame" and that the enforcement staff should be better trained in dealing with people.

Mrs Bellas had popped into Morrisons on her way to work at Canterbury Academy last Wednesday to pick up a loaf of bread for SEN students.

Hearing people calling to her, she turned to see a woman dressed in black and a man in a polo shirt.

She recalled: "I said 'what, me?' and they said 'yeah, can you come along please?'

"I said 'where to?' and they said 'can you come with us?'"

Mrs Bellas says that with hindsight she would have probed further, but in the moment "just panicked".

"It was very surreal," she said. "I didn't know who they were. At first I thought they were police officers, and was thinking 'what have I done?'

"They were walking out and kept turning round to make sure I was with them.

"I said 'can you tell me why you're taking me outside?' and they said 'when we get outside, we'll tell you'.

"It was like I was being arrested. It was really, really humiliating."

"Outside, they said 'now I want to speak to you about that cigarette you just threw out the car window'."

Shocked, Mrs Bellas told them she does not smoke.

The enforcement officers – who it later turned out were employed by NES – pointed to a nearby red car, and asked if it was hers.

"I said 'yes that is my car, but I don't smoke'," recalled Mrs Bellas. "There were groups of kids from Canterbury Academy standing around watching me. They were all gobsmacked.

"It was like I was being arrested. It was really, really humiliating."

Mrs Bellas continued to protest, offering officers a look around her car and urging them to smell her in a bid to prove she had not been smoking.

The wardens eventually admitted they had made an error, but reportedly offered no apology.

Mrs Bellas now hopes enforcement staff will be better trained in "how to approach members of the public in a non-scary way, in a non-confrontational way".

"I [would like the council to] see the bodycam footage, so they can see how rude they were with me," she said. "It was awful – absolutely awful.

"It was like a walk of shame until I got outside, and then they accused me of something I didn't do. It was absolutely bizarre, and there was no apology.

"It was really, really intimidating, very embarrassing, and it actually really shook me up. I was scared, but [imagine] if it had happened to somebody vulnerable."

'The interaction was professional'

NES is a private firm employed by Canterbury City Council (CCC) to help clamp down on littering across Canterbury, Herne Bay and Whitstable.

Since its contract began on May 3, wardens can hand out £150 fines to those committing offences such as littering and dog fouling.

NES receives 70% of all revenue it generates through fines, with the remaining 30% going to the city council.

"After the officer questioned the member of the public about a potential offence taking place the officer was satisfied with the response and no fixed penalty notice was issued."

In a joint statement regarding the incident involving Mrs Bellas, NES and CCC said: "After review of the officers' bodyworn camera the interaction of the officer was professional and not 'demeaning, aggressive and disrespectful'.

"The officer approached the member of the public and asked them to come outside; this was to avoid embarrassment.

"After the officer questioned the member of the public about a potential offence taking place the officer was satisfied with the response and no fixed penalty notice was issued.

"NES apologises if the member of the public felt upset at any time.

"This is not what we set out to achieve and we will work with all officers on this contract to minimise the risk of a repeated incident.

"As part of the contract NES are expected to engage with the public and not just for people committing offences. NES sets a high standard as this particular role often is highly criticised."

They said enforcement officers were allowed to operate in Morrisons "as a supermarket is a public place".

They added: "The reason for this type of contract is due to the high costs of enforcing and cleansing that burdens the local authorities.

"Local authorities are responsible for the enforcement of litter on all land that is open to the air and accessible to the public, regardless of who owns the land.

"NES would urge the member of the public concerned to contact the company directly so we can reassure and resolve their concerns. NES contact details are easily accessible on our website."

Should focus be elsewhere?

NES' predecessor, Kingdom LA Support, came under fire for focusing too heavily on smokers.

In the first nine weeks of Kingdom's three-month trial, 96% of fines dished out were to people dropping cigarette ends.

When the city council offered a year-long contract to NES, beginning last month, it was widely hoped the firm would focus on litter hotspots such as Whitstable seafront which is frequently blighted with rubbish in busy summer months.

But responding to the firm's presence in Morrison's car park, city councillor Ashley Clark said: "Officers will clearly focus their attention in public space frequented by large numbers of people because it is people who drop litter and this can include car parks."

"Fines are entirely avoidable and thoughtless selfish individuals who drop litter have only got themselves to blame."

The cabinet member for enforcement and open spaces continued: "We can anticipate as we move into summer that the coast will focus in their attention more highly.

"We do get litter in the open countryside and litter thrown from cars and where we have evidenced that then action has been taken.

"Cameras are periodically placed at littering and fly-tipping hotspots in rural areas where littering takes place but on a less than frequent basis when compared to busy locations.

"As for cigarette ends, one would anticipate a larger proportion of fines in that regard given the numbers that are discarded.

"Fines are entirely avoidable and thoughtless selfish individuals who drop litter have only got themselves to blame.

"We want a district that is clean and visually welcoming and where rules are respected so that all can enjoy it."