A woman was shocked to be fined £150 for pouring away coffee dregs into a drain in west London.
Burcu Yesilyurt, who lives in Kew, said the punishment is “extreme” after being approached by three enforcement officers.
Ms Yesilyurt tipped out a small amount from her reusable cup down the road gully rather than risk spilling it on the bus she was waiting to alight.
She received a fine under Section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
Ms Yesilyurt told BBC News: “It feels quite unfair. I think the fine is extreme. It’s not proportionate.”
She added: “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 claims she had “no clue” that she was doing anything wrong when the incident took place on October 10 and she added: “It was quite a shock.”
In fact when the enforcement officers came up to her, she thought they were going to tell her something about the bus.
She also claims that she got no response when she asked them if there were any signs or information about it being wrong to pour waste liquids into the drains.
Many people may be unaware of Section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 which makes it an offence to dispose of waste which may pollute and this includes pouring liquids into drains.
Ms Yesilyurt lodged a complaint with the local authority and didn’t pay the fine.
Richmond Council in a statement given to the Standard after the incident was highlighted in news reports said it has decided to drop the fine.
A spokesperson said: “We have reviewed the body-worn footage of the incident. From this, it is clear that a contravention took place which justified the Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) being issued. Contrary to the suggestion in reports, the enforcement officers acted appropriately and with sympathy. They were in no way aggressive.
“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 It is likely that, had this case progressed through that route, the notice would have been rescinded.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.”
