Council chiefs are being accused of cashing in with petty fines on locals for what might seem the most minor of alleged offences.
Caught up in the current crackdowns was a woman landed with a cash penalty after failing to carry a waste bag while walking her dog.
Daily Mail research has shown just how many fines were handed out to drivers in what has been dubbed a ‘war on motorists’.
In just one year, London drivers were hit with a record 7.6million penalty fines – totalling an estimated £400million – with those penalty charge notices were issued by Transport for London.
Fresh scrutiny has now been imposed on local authorities after council officers in south-west London were accused of ‘chasing’ after a woman who poured the remnants of her coffee down a drain.
Burcu Yesilyurt, from Kew, was initially fined £150 but that penalty has now been quashed, with Richmond-upon-Thames Council insisting they ‘won’t do it again’.
Public service protection orders were brought in in 2014, allowing local authorities to set their own rules in efforts to combat antisocial behaviour.
And risks remain, as precedents set by local authorities across the country indicate – and as this new Daily Mail quiz outlines. How might you fare?
Ms Yesilyurt said she tipped a small amount of the drink from her reusable cup down the road gully because she did not want to spill it on the bus.
Burcu Yesilyurt (pictured) was slapped with a £150 fine by council officers after pouring the remnants of her coffee down the drain
Paula (pictured) said she was stopped by a council officer in Northampton town centre and fined for not carrying a waste bag
But moments later, she was ‘shocked’ to see three male enforcement officers ‘chasing’ her down the street as she stood at the bus stop near Richmond station.
The officers fined her £150 under Section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, reduced to £100 if she paid within 14 days.
Ms Yesilyurt said she found the encounter ‘quite intimidating’ and was left feeling ‘shaky’ on her way to work.
But Richmond-upon-Thames Council insisted its officers ‘acted professionally and objectively’ and were ‘justified’ in issuing the fine.
The authority later said it had cancelled the fine and is ‘reviewing our advice on the disposal of liquids in a public place’.
Elsewhere, a dog owner named Paula was fined £100 for walking her Welsh Springer Spaniel without a waste bag.
Paula said she was stopped by a council officer in Northampton town centre and despite her dog not fouling on the pavement, she was fined because she had forgotten to bring a plastic bag.
A West Northamptonshire Council spokesperson said: ‘It’s really important that if people walk their dogs in a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) area they have the means to pick up after them in case they foul in a public area.’
