£150 fine for pouring coffee down drain cancelled, council says

A £150 fine issued to a woman for pouring the dregs of her coffee down a road drain has been cancelled, a council has said.

Burcu Yesilyurt, of Kew, described the fine as “quite unfair” and “extreme” as she thought she was being “responsible” by tipping the coffee remnants away rather than spilling on a bus.

She was stopped by enforcement officers in west London on October 10 and fined under Section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

On Wednesday, Richmond Council said Ms Yesilyurt could have appealed the fine but “on this occasion, the council has therefore decided to cancel the FPN (fixed penalty notice)”.

Ms Yesilyurt told the BBC: “I noticed my bus was approaching, so I just poured the leftover bit. It wasn’t much, it was just a tiny little bit.

“As soon as I turned around, I noticed three men, enforcement officers, chasing me, and they stopped me immediately.”

She said she had been trying to avoid littering and added: “It feels quite unfair. I think the fine is extreme. It’s not proportionate.”

Richmond Council said it had looked at bodyworn footage of the incident and its officers were “in no way aggressive” and “it is clear that a contravention took place which justified the fixed penalty notice (FPN) being issued.”

The spokesman added: “FPNs clearly outline that there is an appeal process available to anyone who wishes to challenge them.

“It is likely that, had this case progressed through that route, the notice would have been rescinded. On this occasion, the council has therefore decided to cancel the FPN.

“We remain committed to protecting Richmond’s waterways and keeping our borough’s streets clean and safe. We are also reviewing our advice on the disposal of liquids in a public place and will be updating this information on our website.”

The council website says that dropping or depositing litter on any land open to the air is an offence under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and offenders can be served with a Fixed Penalty Notice for £150 or face prosecution and a maximum fine of £2,500 on conviction.