Khaberni - Local authorities in London imposed a financial penalty on a woman after she poured the remnants of her coffee into a public water drain, only to retract the decision later due to a wave of criticisms and legal reviews.
In detail, a woman named Burcu Yeşil Yurt from Kew, West London, poured a small amount of leftover coffee from her reusable cup into a street drain to avoid spilling it while boarding the bus to work.
Moments later, she was surprised when three local council employees chased her near Richmond station and stopped her to issue an environmental fine of 150 British pounds, reduced to 100 pounds if paid within 14 days.
The woman stated that she felt scared and confused by the situation, emphasizing that she was unaware that pouring any liquid into street drains was against the law, as the British Environmental Protection Act of 1990 prohibits disposing of waste in any manner that could pollute water or soil.
On its part, Richmond upon Thames Borough explained that its employees acted "professionally and objectively," and a review of the recordings from their body-mounted cameras confirmed the violation occurred without any aggressive behavior from their side.
However, the borough later announced the cancellation of the fine and the revision of its instructions on how to dispose of liquids in public places, in a move described as an attempt to calm public controversy.
This incident comes after similar events in other British cities. Last year, Stoke-on-Trent City Council imposed a fine of 400 British pounds on a couple after they placed an envelope containing their address in a public trash can.
The council considered this act as an illegal disposal of "household waste" in a bin intended for public waste, which is an offense under the British Environmental Protection Act.
The council confirmed in a statement at that time that it follows a "zero tolerance" policy towards waste offenses, as part of its efforts to keep the city clean and combat random littering.
