A five-year-old girl who hit the headlines after her homemade lemonade stand was shut down by the council has received dozens of offers to set up stalls at other events.
Andre Spicer, a business school professor, let his daughter set up a stand near their home to sell refreshments to people heading to the Lovebox music festival in Victoria Park, east London, last weekend.
But after half an hour four council officials told the pair to shut up shop and slapped Prof Spicer with a £150 fine as he held his sobbing daughter in his arms.
So, about the lemonade standard incident… we are very sorry that this has happened. (1/3)
— Tower Hamlets (@TowerHamletsNow) July 21, 2017
We expect our enforcement officers to show common sense, and to use their powers sensibly. This clearly did not happen. (2/3)
— Tower Hamlets (@TowerHamletsNow) July 21, 2017
The fine will be cancelled immediately and we have contacted Mr Spicer and his daughter to apologise. 3/3
— Tower Hamlets (@TowerHamletsNow) July 21, 2017
Tower Hamlets Council has since cancelled the fine and hand-delivered a note to the family’s home to apologise.
The family tweeted: “We have been overwhelmed by the kind response from people across the world.
“Dozens of festivals, markets and businesses have offered us the opportunity to set up a lemonade stand.
“We hope they will extend this invitation to others who’d love to make a stand.”
This summer, we want kids to make a stand. Our response to kind offers following lemonade fine. Spread the word! #MakeAStand pic.twitter.com/ItwyhNMHTn
— André Spicer (@andre_spicer) July 22, 2017
Among those extending the offers was London’s Borough market which tweeted the girl’s father: “In all seriousness, would your daughter like to sell some lemonade at Borough Market? We’d love to make that happen for her.”
Lee Fest: Neverland has also invited the little girl to sell lemonade at its August festival in Kent.
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