The hire firm was left shocked by the hefty fine it received in April, attributing the issue to a simple clerical mistake.The company had been charged under Operation Nightstare, an initiative led by the West Midlands Police Commercial Vehicle Unit.
Back in March 2024, at the NEC near the M42, officers stopped a heavy goods vehicle carrying a large excavator along with related plant equipment. Although the plant hire operator had submitted a movement notification, the vehicle in question was found to be operating on a different axle configuration than what had been declared. Reports Contract Journal
Lynch decided to appeal the size of the fine, and the case was reviewed by Her Honour Justice Buckingham.
She ruled: “Having considered the penalty, and with all due respect to District Judge Qureshi, the fine originally imposed by the Magistrates Court was ‘manifestly excessive’.
“Lynch’s level of culpability was low, and there was minimal—if any—actual harm caused. This was a technical breach arising purely from human error.
“The vehicle in question was otherwise fully compliant with relevant road safety regulations and was already under escort by Lynch vehicles. There were no aggravating factors in the offence. As such, the fine is reduced from £800,000 to £10,000.”
English 