Court fines Virgin Media after TFL complaint
June 3, 2014
A Westminster Magistrate’s Court has fined Virgin Media and its contractor McNicholas over £6,500 (€7,985) following a guilty plea to three offences in Richmond. The seriousness of the offences led the court to issue the maximum possible fines. As well as the maximum fine, Virgin Media and McNicholas were made to pay the legal costs of £5,040, bringing the total to £11,705.
Virgin Media pleaded guilty to the two offences committed in February 2014. These included carrying out unsafe working practices and breaching permit conditions, namely excavating the entire width of Chertsey Road. Virgin Media’s contractor, McNicholas, also pleaded guilty to a breach of permit conditions. In passing sentence the judge stated she was “…horrified by the sloppiness of the works, and the danger and severe disruption that they caused”.
It is the latest in a series of successful prosecutions by TfL as it works to reduce unnecessary roadworks to improve traffic flow and conditions for all London’s road users. Earlier this month, Transport For London successfully prosecuted Virgin Media for five offences in Sutton, including unsafe working practices and permit breaches.
Leon Daniels, Managing Director of Surface Transport at TfL, said: “In a frustrating case of déjà vu, this is the second successful prosecution of Virgin Media in as many months.”