Kew woman fined £150 for pouring coffee down drain in Richmond

A woman said she was “shocked” when she was fined £150 for spilling the remains of her coffee into a road drain in west London.

Burcu Yesilyurt, who lives in Kew, said she thought she was acting “responsibly” by pouring a small amount of coffee from her reusable cup into the sewer instead of pouring it on the bus when she was about to go to work.

But to his surprise, he was stopped at the bus stop near Richmond station by three enforcement officers and given a ticket. Environmental Protection Act 1990.

Richmond-upon-Thames Council rescinded the penalty on Wednesday afternoon, despite initially saying the penalty was issued in accordance with its policies.

Before the municipality canceled the fine, Yesilyurt told the BBC: “I noticed my bus was approaching, so I poured the rest. It wasn’t much, it was just a little.

“When I turned around, I realized three men, law enforcement, were chasing me, and they stopped me immediately.”

Ms Yeşilyurt said she thought they would talk to her about a problem with the bus when it was stopped on October 10 and that she had “no idea” that it was illegal to pour liquid into the road drain.

“It was quite a shock,” he said.

Ms Yesilyurt said she asked law enforcement if there were any signs or information warning people about the law, but did not receive any response.

The email seen by the BBC and sent from the municipality to Yeşilyurt at 15.00 GMT said: “As a result of the investigation, I can say that the Fixed Penalty Notice has been cancelled.

“Please accept my apologies for any inconvenience or inconvenience this has caused you.”

He said the encounter with officers was “pretty scary” and he felt “shaken up” on the way to work.

Earlier, a spokesperson for Richmond Council said body-worn camera footage had been reviewed and they “did not agree that officers acted aggressively”.

“The recordings confirm that the officers acted professionally and were sensitive to the circumstances,” they added.

Ms Yeşilyurt said that when she asked the officers what she should do with the remaining coffee, she was told to pour it into a nearby trash can.

He said he tries to act responsibly and avoid littering.

“It’s quite unfair. I think the punishment is excessive. It’s not proportionate,” he added.

Ms. Yeşilyurt called for the law to be explained more clearly with signs near garbage bins and bus stops.

He has not yet paid the fine and filed a complaint with the municipality.

A Richmond Council spokesman said: “No one likes getting fined and we always aim to enforce 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 the fine has been issued incorrectly can request a review.”