A café in Walton has taken aim at Suffolk Coastal MP Therese Coffey with a tongue-in-cheek sticker placed on a toilet cistern. 

Cuppa Café in High Road West attracted attention online on Friday, with a photo of the toilet being viewed and retweeted many times on social media. 

The sticker bears an image of the Environment Secretary’s face, below the slogan: “Let me pop that straight in the river for you!” 

However, Dr Coffey has said that she will “not be deterred by personal attacks”, and that Suffolk waters are improving. 

Ipswich Star: The sticker reads: “Let me pop that straight in the river for you!” The sticker reads: “Let me pop that straight in the river for you!”  (Image: Sarah Fitch)

Ipswich Star: Therese Coffey is the MP for Suffolk Coastal, and the current Environment Secretary. Image: Charlotte BondTherese Coffey is the MP for Suffolk Coastal, and the current Environment Secretary. Image: Charlotte Bond (Image: Charlotte Bond)

The sticker was placed on the toilet by Cuppa’s owner, Sarah Fitch, in April. 

“When we first opened Cuppa, we tried not to get political,” she explained. “But then we thought, actually we do need to be political.” 

Mrs Fitch said she first discovered the sticker on X (formerly Twitter), where it was being shared by the environmental group Effluencers, which campaigns for cleaner rivers.  

“I don’t want to be unkind about anyone, but I look at her voting record, and it’s poor,” continued Mrs Fitch.

“This is all about not letting sewage companies pump raw sewage into the sea.” 

This is not the first creative form of criticism that has been levelled at Dr Coffey as Environment Secretary.

In March, a sign containing an expletive appeared near Martlesham Creek, following allegations that high levels of E. coli had been found in the water. 

The following month, a blue plaque appeared outside public toilets in Woodbridge, ‘honouring’ the MP and describing the toilets as ‘Therese Coffey Bogs’.  

After both incidents, Dr Coffey said that she was working with the government and water companies to work against the issue of water pollution, and that she was seeing results. 

However, Mrs Fitch remained skeptical.

“She may well be tackling water pollution – but we need to see some evidence of that,” she said. 

In response to the sticker, Dr Coffey said: "Earlier this year, I launched the government’s Plan for Water, a detailed blueprint to clean up our waterways and ensure a plentiful supply for the future.  

“The plan tackles every source of pollution, including from storm overflows, agriculture, plastics, road run-off and chemicals. For the first time, there are unlimited penalties for polluters and those penalties will be reinvested through a new Water Restoration Fund.  

“Locally, I’m proud that Felixstowe beaches continue to have an excellent rating from the Environment Agency. There is still more work to be done but I won’t be deterred by personal attacks, especially as our waters are getting cleaner."