A man on Wednesday tried to pay a fine with just 1 cent coins at the Naxxar local council, an act which saw him end at the locality’s police station for his troubles.

In a status on their Facebook page, the Naxxar local council said that the man had tried to play a practical joke at the council by paying the fine using 1 cent coins.

The apparent joke however backfired, the council said, as the man ended up at the police station and had to pick up every cent which he dropped and pay the fine in a normal manner.

“We appeal for respect towards the council’s employees and not to try and waste their times for nothing, as they’re paid with the people’s taxes”, the council said.

It’s not clear on what grounds was the man taken to the police station - although it is implied in the council's post that the man had tipped the money to the floor - as the 1c coin is legal tender, and many took to the comments board on the council’s Facebook page to lambast them for the action.

“If he threw them to the ground then that’s bad, but 1c is still money and I’d have paid with them – you could have taken me straight to the depot for all I care”, one man commented.

“If you’re admitting that he ended up at the police station because he paid with 1c coins then you’re the ones who should be taken to court because you broke the law”, another told the council.

Another irate commenter noted that it was wardens who gave non-sensical fines leading to citizens having to waste their time contesting them at tribunals: “or is it the time of council workers which is important only?”