A national plant hire operator has been ordered to pay more than £800,000 after being found guilty of moving an abnormal load without proper notification. 

Officers stopped an L Lynch Plant Hire and Haulage Ltd heavy goods vehicle transporting a large excavator and associated plant equipment at the NEC near the M42 near March 2024.

Police examined the trailer - which was not the one the company had given notification about - and found it was "significantly overweight", as well as longer and wider than allowed.

"This affected the vehicle's weight distribution, and gross weight – which meant the notification was invalid," a West Midlands Police statement said.

"Because of the change from the notification, no additional safeguarding measures could be put in place to protect road users from the risks of such an oversized and heavy load. 

"Following a thorough investigation by the Commercial Vehicle Unit, officers worked with the Police Led Prosecution team's experienced solicitors who specialise in handling complex road safety, to prosecute L Lynch Plant Hire and Haulage Ltd."

Last Thursday 27 March , the company, based in Hertfordshire, was convicted of three separate offences at court and fined £800,000.

It was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £2,000 and costs of £130.

Superintendent Gareth Mason, Head of Roads Policing for West Midlands Police, said: "Road safety is a priority for West Midlands Police and this case sends a clear message: if you breach abnormal load legislation and put the public at risk, we will take action.

"When firms don't follow proper procedures, it's not just a technicality – it's a serious safety risk. 

"That's why we work closely with partner agencies to carry out targeted enforcement operations, educate industry partners, and prosecute offenders where necessary , as the consequences of getting it wrong can be catastrophic."