Prosecution by council sees newsagent fined £18k for health and safety breach

A newsagent in Colchester that breached health and safety regulations has been fined £18,000, following a prosecution brought by Colchester Borough Council.

The incident at Sweet Land News in Head Street took place on 7 July 2016, when a customer fell through an open delivery hatch in the shop floor.

The case was brought by the borough council after it received a call from the customer involved in the incident.

The court heard how the hatch had been left open to allow staff to take a water-meter reading. A yellow warning sign had been placed inside the entrance of the premises, which warned of window cleaning but not the exposed hatch in the shop floor. There was also no fencing or guarding placed around the exposed hatch. 

Magistrates were also told that the open hatch was attended by a member of staff until such times as customers needed to be served, when it was left unattended. 

Sweet Land News pleading guilty to breaching section 3 of the Health and Safety Act 1974. The company was fined £18,000, ordered to pay £1,500 in legal costs and a victim surcharge of £170.

Cllr Tina Bourne, Portfolio Holder for Housing and Communities at Colchester, said: "Colchester Borough Council is the health and safety enforcing authority for thousands of premises across the borough. Our officers carry out their duties with diligence and I am pleased that our health and safety officers were able to successfully prosecute this case. 

"This case serves as a dreadful reminder that laws which uphold health and safety standards exist for a very good reason, and that flouting them can have terrible consequences.”