A woman has been left “shocked” after she was fined £150 for pouring the end of her coffee down a road gully in west London.
Kew woman, Burcu Yesilyurt, said she believed she was acting “responsibly” when she tipped the small amount of coffee from her reusable cup down the drain instead of spilling it on the bus she was due to catch on October 10.
The woman was stopped to her surprise by three enforcement officers at a bus stop near Richmond station.
She was fined under Section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, according to the BBC.
Richmond-upon-Thames Council said the officers “acted professionally and objectively”, further adding the fine was issued in line with its policies.
Ms Yesilyurt said she “noticed my bus was approaching, so I just poured the leftover bit”.
She added there wasn’t much, in fact, “it was just a tiny little bit”.
But, three men, enforcement officers, had chased her and “stopped me immediately”.
The woman poured a ‘tiny little bit’ of her coffee down the drain
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Ms Yesilyurt believed the men were going to speak with her about an issue with the bus and had “no clue” that it was illegal.
“It was quite a shock,” she said.
The woman asked the enforcement officers if there were any signs or information warning people of the law, however, no response was given.
Section 33 of the Environment Protection Act 1990 outlines how it’s an offence to deposit or dispose of waste in a way likely to pollute land or water, including pouring liquids into street drains.
Bus stop outside Richmond Station nearby where Burcu Yesilyurt poured the coffee
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Ms Yesilyurt was fined £150, although if paid within two weeks it can be reduced to £100.
She said it was “quite intimidating” speaking with the officers and that she was left feeling “shaky”.
A Richmond Council spokesman said the body-worn footage was reviewed and they did “not agree that officers behaved aggressively”.
“Footage confirms the officers acted professionally and were sensitive to the circumstances,” the spokesman added.
Ms Yesilyurt said the officers said she should have poured it in a nearby bin.
She said she had been trying to act responsibly and avoid littering.
“It feels quite unfair,” she said.
Ms Yesilyurt believes the fine was too extreme and “not proportionate”.
She has called for the law to be made clearer and signs to be displayed near bus stops.
Ms Yesilyurt has not yet paid the fine and issued a complaint to the council.
“Nobody likes receiving a fine, and we always aim to apply our policies fairly and with understanding,” the spokesman said.
“We are committed to protecting Richmond’s waterways and keeping our borough’s streets clean and safe.”
