A READING-based boat owner has been convicted and fined for failing to register his cruiser for use on the River Thames.
Environment Agency officers discovered the unnamed boat moored opposite Reading Marine Services during routine checks last year, Reading magistrates were told. The owner Michael Toner did not attend the hearing.
As the boat was unmarked it was impossible to carry out checks on the National Licensing System (NLS) database containing details of all the vessels registered on the non-tidal Thames. There was no response to warning notices fixed to the boat but in September the agency was given intelligence that the vessel was called The Wee Lamb and belonged to Michael Toner of Oxford Road, Reading. The NLS showed the vessel to be unregistered, a situation that continued through to December.
Reading magistrates’ court was told that Toner had skipped the annual £280.04 registration fee, determined by the length and width of the boat. Including a £600 fine, plus costs and compensation, he was ordered to pay almost £1400 for breaching the Environment Agency (Inland Waterways) Order 2010.
Environment Agency environment manager Colin Chiverton said after the hearing. “We’re delighted with this fine that sends a warning to all unregistered boat owners – it’s just not worth the risk. If you have an unregistered boat on the Thames, you should know that our enforcement teams are already patrolling the river, checking for valid registrations.”
Renewal letters for 2024 registrations were sent in winter to everyone that registered their boat last year. The EA’s approach to non-registration has changed this season – once a summons has been issued, it won’t stop court proceedings, even if the boat owner subsequently pays their registration fee.
