4 hours ago
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A woman from west London said she was “shocked” after being fined £150 for pouring the dregs of her morning coffee down a street drain as she waited for a bus.
Burcu Yesilyurt said she believed she was doing the right thing by emptying her reusable cup before getting on a bus to work. But moments later, she was confronted by three enforcement officers near Richmond station and handed a fixed-penalty notice.
“I noticed my bus was approaching, so I just poured the leftover bit,” Yesilyurt told the BBC. “It wasn’t much – just a tiny little bit. As soon as I turned around, three men, enforcement officers, were chasing me, and they stopped me immediately. I thought it was about the bus. I had no clue pouring liquid into a drain was illegal. It was quite a shock.”
The officers told her she was in breach of section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, which makes it an offence to dispose of waste in a way that could pollute land or water. Richmond upon Thames council said its officers “acted professionally and objectively” and that the fine had been issued in line with council policy.
Yesilyurt, who lives in Kew, said she asked the officers whether there were any signs warning the public about the rule, but was given no answer. “I asked if there were any signs or anything saying you can’t pour coffee away,” she said. “They didn’t answer me.” She described the encounter as “quite intimidating” and said she felt “shaky” afterwards. “They told me I did something criminal.”
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When she asked what she should have done with the remaining coffee, Yesilyurt said she was told to pour it into a nearby bin. “It feels quite unfair,” she said. “I think the fine is extreme. It’s not proportionate.”
A spokesperson for Richmond council said footage from the officers’ body-worn cameras had been reviewed and the authority did “not agree that officers behaved aggressively”.
“Footage confirms the officers acted professionally and were sensitive to the circumstances,” they said. “Nobody likes receiving a fine, and we always aim to apply our policies fairly and with understanding. We are committed to protecting Richmond’s waterways and keeping our borough’s streets clean and safe. Enforcement action is only taken when necessary, and residents who feel a fine has been issued incorrectly can request a review.”
The £150 fine can be reduced to £100 if paid within 14 days. Yesilyurt has lodged a formal complaint with the council and called for clearer signage near bins and bus stops to warn residents about the rules.
