Starbucks has been fined after two of its coffee shops near Piccadilly repeatedly left rubbish bags on the pavement outside of collection times.

The company showed “complete disregard for local residents” by dumping the bags full of rubbish, which would then spill onto the pavement on Berkeley Street.

As a result, the American coffee chain has been fined £160,000 after admitting to four waste offences at Westminster Magistrates Court on Wednesday (August 10).

The court heard that, since April 2015, both stores and Starbucks head office ignored regular warnings from Westminster City Council to stop putting rubbish bags on the street outside of normal collection times.

Starbucks was told to pay a £160,000 for dumping its bags on the street in Westminster

Cllr Nickie Aiken, cabinet member for licensing and public protection at Westminster, said: “Starbucks have shown a complete disregard for local residents and visitors to this historic part of Westminster.

“On a regular basis Starbucks dumped their rubbish straight onto the pavement rather than following very simple collection schedules.

“This sentence proves that every business has a responsibility to keep our streets clean and tidy, regardless of the size of the company”.

District Judge Coleman said that Starbucks had acted in a “deliberate” manner, ignoring complaints from resident’s associations and numerous warnings from Westminster City Council.

As well as the fine Starbucks must also by costs and a victim surcharge

She did not accept the mitigation submitted by Starbucks that head office had not been aware at the appropriate times due to internal procedures.

DJ Coleman added that there was a “history of non-compliance” from Starbucks and noted the “prestigious” location and impact on the ‘local amenity’.”

There are two regular collections in Berkeley Street at 7am and 6pm daily, with businesses expected to put rubbish out no more than 30 minutes before this time. Neither should waste stay on the street for more than two hours.

However, rubbish was seen dumped on the streets just after midday on a number of occasions and waste bags were observed spilling and leaking onto the public highway.

Starbucks was told to pay a £160,000 for dumping its bags on the street in Westminster

Bags were also seen left out through the night in one of the borough’s busiest night-time economy hotspots.

Starbucks paid a £40,000 fine for each offence, costs of £3,501.17, and a £120 victim surcharge. It must pay the full amount within 28 days.

Starbucks also paid seven of eleven £80 fixed penalty notices, with the first issued in 2011.