Richmond council u-turn on £150 coffee drain fine: were you at risk as officers target spills?

A £150 fixed penalty notice issued in Richmond upon Thames for pouring leftover coffee into a roadside gully has been cancelled after review, sparking a wider debate about what counts as waste, how people should dispose of small amounts of liquid, and whether councils are communicating the rules clearly enough.

What happened outside Richmond station

Burcu Yesilyurt, a Kew resident heading to work, tipped the dregs of her coffee from a reusable cup into a kerbside gully near Richmond station to avoid a spill on the bus. Three enforcement officers stopped her and issued a fixed penalty under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, which covers depositing waste in a manner likely to pollute land or water.

She said the approach felt intimidating and she walked away shaken. She also questioned the absence of signs at the stop or nearby bins explaining that pouring liquids into street drains is prohibited. Officers reportedly told her she should have used a bin instead, despite many public bins lacking any facility for liquids.

The £150 notice has been rescinded. Council officers judged the incident minor and accepted the recipient’s assurance that it would not happen again.

The local authority says it reviewed body-worn camera footage and is satisfied its officers acted appropriately. It also says it wants to protect local waterways and expects residents to comply with environmental law.

Why a gully isn’t a bin

Many road gullies connect to surface water networks that discharge to rivers and streams. They are not sinks. Filters and silt traps catch grit and leaves, but they do not treat liquid pollutants. Coffee contains sugars, milk residues and sometimes cleaning chemicals, all of which can degrade water quality and add to nutrient loads downstream.

People often assume everything poured into a drain heads to a treatment works. In numerous streets, that’s wrong. In older systems, surface water drains discharge to local watercourses; foul sewers take wastewater to treatment. Confusing the two can have real consequences when thousands of small “harmless” tips turn into a steady stream of contaminants.

Pouring liquids into a street drain can amount to unlawful disposal of waste under environmental law, even when the volume is small and the cup reusable.

The law and fixed penalties

The Environmental Protection Act 1990 prohibits depositing waste in a way that risks pollution. Councils use fixed penalty notices as a quicker alternative to prosecution. Each notice sets out how to pay or challenge. Richmond council says the notice issued in this case would likely have been overturned had the appeal run its course because the contravention was minor.

• Location: bus stop near Richmond station, south-west London.
• Penalty issued: £150 fixed penalty notice for unlawful disposal of waste.
• Outcome: cancelled after review; apology issued for upset caused.
• Evidence: body-worn camera footage reviewed by the council.

Public reaction and a gap in signage

The story has prompted strong reactions from commuters and residents. Many say they had no idea tipping a splash of coffee into a drain counted as an environmental offence. Others argue that the law is clear but poorly explained on-street. Ms Yesilyurt has called for simple signs near bins and bus stops, plus markings on grates stating “drains to river”.

Recent local headlines about penalties for wind-blown rubbish and debates over feeding birds have already sharpened views on how enforcement should work. This incident adds a fresh question: when does a common-sense act to avoid mess become a sanctioned offence, and what guidance helps people make the right call in the moment?

Residents want plain words at the point of decision: not just “no littering”, but “no liquids into drains”.

What you should do with leftover drinks

Practical do’s for commuters

• Keep the lid on until you reach a sink or a toilet in your workplace or a transport hub.
• Empty liquids into a sink, not a kerbside gully, then bin the cup if it’s single-use or wash it if reusable.
• If no sink is available, carry the cup until you find one; do not assume public bins can safely take liquids.
• Use absorbent paper inside the cup sleeve to prevent drips before boarding a bus or train.
• Ask the café where you bought the drink if they will take back any remnants for proper disposal.

What not to do

• Do not pour coffee, tea, milk or detergent into kerbside drains.
• Do not tip liquids into unlined litter bins; fluid can leak and create hygiene problems.
• Do not leave cups on bin lids or bus shelters; that counts as littering.

Numbers that put it in perspective

Small actions add up. If 300 people in one borough pour just 30 millilitres — roughly two tablespoons — into drains on a weekday, that’s nine litres a day. Over a 20‑day working month, the total reaches 180 litres. Add dairy and sugar, and the load grows more harmful as it builds over time, particularly during dry spells when gullies don’t flush.

That arithmetic helps explain why councils treat liquids as waste. It does not mean every case deserves a penalty. Context, signage and intent matter. In this case, the authority decided a warning sufficed once it reviewed the circumstances.

Your options if you receive a fixed penalty

If an officer issues a notice, you still have choices. Read the details immediately and check the timeframe for representations. Councils usually provide a formal route to challenge and a contact for evidence. Keep interactions calm and factual; request the officer’s notes and ask whether body‑worn footage exists.

• Act within the deadline; appeal windows can be short.
• Explain mitigation clearly: quantity involved, intent to prevent litter, lack of signage.
• Ask for the council’s published enforcement policy and how your case fits it.
• Keep copies of all correspondence and any photographs of the location.

Paying a fixed penalty normally closes the matter without a criminal conviction. Contesting may lead to the notice being cancelled, as happened here, or it could proceed to court. Seek advice if you are unsure; policy varies by authority and offence type.

What Richmond council says it aims to protect

The authority says it wants to safeguard Richmond’s waterways and limit pollution from roads. It stands by the conduct of its officers in this incident but accepted that cancellation was proportionate after review and apologised for the distress caused. The decision invites a practical next step: clearer on‑street guidance to reduce repeat incidents.

Extra context that helps day to day

How to recognise a surface water drain

• Grates at the kerb usually serve the road, not the sewage works.
• Some are marked with fish symbols or words such as “drains to river”. Treat all as if they do.
• If you can hear open water below, it’s almost certainly a surface water line.

For anyone carrying a keep‑cup, a simple habit change makes a difference. Plan where you will empty leftovers before you set off. If you’re caught short, seal the lid and carry the drink until you find a sink. It’s less convenient than a quick pour at the kerb, but it keeps coffee out of rivers and keeps you out of trouble.