Fined £300 for picking blackberries? Surely not

We spotted that headline this week and had to smile. Fined £300 for picking blackberries? Surely not. So here is the reassuring truth behind the scare stories.

Gathering a few wild blackberries for your own crumble is perfectly fine. The law is actually on your side here: the Theft Act 1968 lets you pick fruit, flowers, foliage and fungi growing wild, as long as it is for your own use and not to sell. So a handful from the hedgerow for the kitchen is absolutely allowed.

So where do the fines come from?

A few things can genuinely land you in bother, which is where those headlines start. Uprooting or damaging the plants is an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, so pick the berries, but leave the bramble be. Foraging on private land without asking the owner is trespass, so a quick word first is always wise. Picking in bulk to sell crosses from a bit of foraging into commercial territory. And some protected areas and local byelaws restrict foraging altogether, which is where the eye-watering fines you read about tend to apply.

The simple rule of thumb

Pick a few for yourself, don’t damage the plant, and ask first if you are on someone’s land. Do that, and you can fill your basket with a clear conscience.

So get out into the hedgerows while they are heavy with fruit; the season does not last long. What are you making with yours: crumble, jam, or straight from the bush? Let us know below.

Legal points: Theft Act 1968 and Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Story via Country Living.