London Woman Fined £150 for Pouring Coffee Down Drain Sparks Public Outrage

A London woman says she was left “shocked and shaken” after being fined £150 for pouring leftover coffee down a roadside drain while waiting for a bus in Richmond.

Burcu Yesilyurt, who lives in Kew, said she believed she was acting responsibly when she emptied a small amount of coffee from her reusable cup into the drain rather than risk spilling it on the bus to work. Moments later, she was stopped by three enforcement officers and fined under Section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, which prohibits waste disposal likely to pollute land or water.

“I noticed my bus approaching, so I just poured the leftover bit—it wasn’t much,” Ms Yesilyurt recalled. “As soon as I turned around, I noticed three men chasing me. They stopped me immediately. I thought it was about the bus, not coffee.”

The incident happened on 10 October near Richmond Station. Ms Yesilyurt said she had “no clue” that disposing of liquid into a road gully was an offence and was stunned by the officers’ actions. “It was quite a shock. They were intimidating, and I felt shaky afterward,” she added.

The Richmond-upon-Thames Council defended the officers, saying they acted “professionally and sensitively.” Reviewing body-worn camera footage, the council stated, “We do not agree that officers behaved aggressively. Footage confirms they followed procedure.”

According to the council, the fine was issued in line with its environmental protection policies, emphasizing its “commitment to safeguarding Richmond’s waterways.”

Ms Yesilyurt was told the £150 fine could be reduced to £100 if paid within 14 days, but she described the penalty as “extreme and disproportionate.”

When she asked what she should have done instead, she said the officers advised her to pour the coffee into a nearby bin. “It feels unfair,” she said. “I was trying not to litter, but it seems I was punished for doing the right thing.”

The case has reignited debate about council enforcement powers after similar incidents, including a cancelled £600 fine issued to a man whose rubbish was blown away by the wind, and another warning against people feeding ducks in the area.