Huge fine for cable layer's faulty vans
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by Rachel Ludsey • Pt cable laying firm has been fined more than £8,000 after vans it used were found to be riddled with defects.
At Kettering magistrates court last week Borderdown Communications, which also holds a restricted 0-licence for 20 lorries, admitted 25 charges including using overloaded vans and using trailers in dangerous condition, without number plates and without brakes.
The company was fined £8,850 with £500 costs.
The court heard that vans used by the Birmingham.based company were checked by the Vehicle Inspectorate at the A14/A509 junction on five occasions.
On 13 February inspectors found five vans were over
weight by as much as 3190. On 20 March an overloaded van was found to lack a safety mechanism designed to secure its trailer, and the trailer had no number plate.
Eight days later one van was found to be overweight; eight had no trailer safety locks and two of the trailers had no brakes. Further faults were found on 26 April.
John Rose, prosecuting, said: "It's perfectly obvious from what has happened that checks have not been carried out in the past."
Borderdown managing director John Mullarkey said: "There was a problem with the old system. It depended too much on the drivers to report faults. A new system is now in place and would appear to be working."