Five River Thames boaters fined £6,587
EA officers do routine patrols and lockside checks – photo: EA
INLAND WATERWAYS: Five boaters caught using their vessels on the River Thames without valid registrations - and one with inadequate sanitary appliances - have been convicted and fined by magistrates.
All the registration offences were contrary to non-registration charges under Articles 4 and 18 of The Environment Agency (Inland Waterways) Order 2010.
Paul Phillips from London was charged after an Environment Agency (EA) officer found the defendant’s vessel Triton moored against a derelict pontoon on Hurst Park below Garricks Aite without a valid licence. Mr Phillips attended court and pleaded guilty and was fined £35, ordered to pay compensation of £485.86, £60 costs and a £15 victim surcharge by Staines Magistrates’ Court.
In the second case, Richard Biddulph from Winchester, pleaded guilty by post. He was fined £160, ordered to pay compensation of £2,114.10, £60 costs and a £15 victim surcharge for not registering his boat De Hoop after being caught at Thames Ditton Marina.
Nicholas Tsirides of Oxford was found without a valid licence for his boat Banbury whilst downstream of Sonning Bridge in the Reading area. The defendant was found guilty in his absence and fined £200, ordered to pay compensation of £845.64, £85 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.
Hadrian Smith who lives onboard Nyko and has another boat under the name of TT Nyko both of which are moored on the River Thames at St Albans park, attended court and pleaded guilty. He was ordered to pay compensation for both vessels of £454.14 and costs for both at £60.
Alistair Trotman of Kingston upon Thames attended court and pleaded guilty to two registration charges for two boats - Hui and the Old Kingston Coal. Hui was found moored at Kingston upon Thames without a valid licence. The defendant’s other boat, Old Kingston Coal, was also found without the correct registration along Teddington Reach.
Mr Trotman was ordered to pay compensation for both vessels of £1,812.69 and costs for both of £60, totalling £1,872.69.
In relation to a separate navigation offence Alanda Thompson of London pleaded guilty by post to one charge of keeping or using a boat that had inadequate sanitary appliances that allowed raw sewage to enter the river. This is contrary to Byelaw 66 of the Thames Navigation Licensing and General Byelaws 1993.
The defendant’s vessel Manimal - underwent a sanitation inspection by an Environment Agency officer whilst it was moored upstream of Teddington Lock. Ms Thompson was fined £35, costs £60 and victim surcharge of £15, totalling £110.
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