WALSALL CANAL BOAT OPERATOR PLEADS GUILTY TO BREACHES OF SAFETY LEGISLATION
At a hearing today at Walsall Magistrates the owner of a Staffs &
Worcester Canal Boat pleaded guilty to four charges under Government safety
legislation. He was fined £10,000 plus
costs of £4,654.33.
The UK registered Canal Boat Hatherton Belle is a 20 metre vessel
that had been adapted to carry up 45 passengers along the Staffs & Worcester
Canal from Calf Heath Marina.
The owner, local businessman Andy Small who also operates a bar next
to the Marina , used the
canal boat to take paying parties on cruises along the canal. It was brought to the attention of the MCA
that the Hatherton Belle had no Passenger Ship Safety Certificate or Domestic
Management Certificate.
Mr Small was served with a Prohibition Notice as the Canal Boat
lacked safety equipment. Mr Small ignored the Prohibition Notice and continued
to take paying passengers on cruises along the canal. When interviewed by MCA
Enforcement Officers he admitted breaching the Prohibition notice and not having
any formal Boatman qualifications to allow him to captain cruises.
In passing sentence the Chairman of the Magistrates said "Ignoring
the detention notice is a very serious offence. We have taken a significant
amount of time to consider this case.”
Mr Colum Leggett, Area
Operations Manager for the Wales and Western
Region of the
MCA stated "Although the thought
of a cruise down the canal may be attractive,
safety equipment and procedures need to be in place to prevent potential
incidents that may result in a loss of life.”