2 Starbucks on Berkeley Street Westminster had paid huge fines for leaving bags of litter in the streets which often gets opened or damaged and spills out.  They were taken to Westminster Magistrates Court and ordered to pay for 4 waste offences.  Judge Coleman said they had acted in a ‘deliberate’ manner ignoring numerous warnings from Westminster City Council.

Starbucks had not responded to letters written to them and ignored the prestigious location and impact on local amenities. There are specific times for rubbish collections and these were not adhered to.

Cllr Melvyn Caplan said, “Hundreds of thousands of people from all around the world visit Westminster every day.  A lot of them are are likely to stop and enjoy a coffee, but not many of them want to pick their way through piles of rubbish”.

Starbucks pleaded guilty to their offences, which merited a reduction in the huge fines imposed which are nevertheless very large.