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, from Kew, southwest London, was approached by three law enforcement officers after she poured her drink from her reusable cup down a road gully in Richmond, not knowing it was illegal.
She was issued a fine under Section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, which states it is illegal to deposit or dispose of waste in a way likely to pollute land or water, including pouring liquids into street drains.
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]”.
Speaking before the decision to drop the fine, Ms Yesilyurt, who lives in Kew, told the BBC: “It feels quite unfair. I think the fine is extreme. It’s not proportionate.”
Ms Yesilyurt claimed she felt she was acting responsibly by pouring out the liquid to avoid spilling it on a bus she was boarding.
She 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.”
A Richmond Council spokesperson said the authority had reviewed the officer’s body cam footage. “The enforcement officers acted appropriately and with sympathy,” they said.
Ms Yesilyurt is now calling for the law, which she was unaware of, to be made more obvious to the public, with signs near bins and bus stops.
The Richmond Council spokesperson said: “Fixed penalty notices 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 It is likely that, had this case progressed through that route, the notice would have been rescinded.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 fixed penalty notice.
“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.”
