Woman fined £150 for pouring coffee down drain

'It was quite a shock'

Kew resident Burcu Yesilyurt told BBC News, she thought she was acting "responsibly" when she chose to pour away the remnants of her coffee instead of risking spilling it on the bus she was waiting to catch.

That was until she was met by a trio of enforcement officers, who fined her under Section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

Ms Yesilyurt said: "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."

Ms Yesilyurt said she had "no clue" that pouring coffee down a drain was an offence, so when she was approached by the the enforcement officers, she actually expected them to be providing an update about an issue with the bus.

She added that the eventual interaction with the officers was "quite intimidating," leaving her feeling "shaky" by the time she went into work.

The local authority responsible for the area in which Ms Yesilyurt was approached, Richmond-upon-Thames Council, said their officers "acted professionally and objectively," adding that the £150 fine was in line with policy.

A spokesperson later told the BBC that body-worn camera footage had been reviewed, leading them to conclude that they did "not agree that officers behaved aggressively."

Ms Yesilyurt says officers told her she should have poured the excess coffee into a bin rather than down a drain.

She added: "It feels quite unfair. I think the fine is extreme. It's not proportionate."

The Kew resident is yet to pay the fine, and has instead issued a formal complaint with the council.

A spokesperson for Richmond Council has 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."