Woman's shock as she is handed 'extreme' £150 fine for pouring coffee down drain
Burcu Yesilyurt poured away what was left of her coffee before boarding a bus in Richmond, west London, and then she was surprised to be stopped by law enforcement officers
A woman was shocked to be given a fine for pouring away coffee dregs into a drain and says the punishment is “unfair”.
Burcu Yesilyurt, who lives in Kew, London, poured away a small amount of coffee before getting onto a bus in west London and then to her surprise was approached by three enforcement officers. She reportedly told how she thought she was behaving “responsibly” by putting it in the grid but has received a fine under Section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
"It feels quite unfair. I think the fine is extreme. It's not proportionate," she said. She disposed of the coffee when she saw the bus approaching at a stop near Richmond station as she said she didn’t want to risk spilling it on board.
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."
And Richmond-upon-Thames Council has confirmed that the fine was correctly given out while saying that the officers “acted professionally and objectively”. But 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 was reportedly fined £150 which would be reduced to £100 if it was paid within 14 days. She also claimed that the officers who stopped her were “quite intimidating” and left her feeling “shaky”. When she enquired what she was supposed to do with the coffee dregs, she was told that she should put it in a bin.
A spokesperson for Richmond Council is understood to have said that body-worn camera footage had been looked at and it was decided that the officers did not behave “aggressively”. They added: "Footage confirms the officers acted professionally and were sensitive to the circumstances.” A statement from the council also reportedly read: "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."
The Mirror has contacted Richmond Council for comment.