Thames Vessel Owners Penalized for Unregistered Boats

The Environment Agency (EA) has initiated legal proceedings against and imposed fines on boat owners whose vessels were not registered on the River Thames. During a series of spot checks conducted last December at Penton Hook Marina in Chertsey, enforcement officers discovered 125 unregistered boats in the south-west section of the river. Staines magistrates’ court heard that owners had been given “ample warning” to register their boats. The highest penalty, exceeding £2,300 in costs, compensation, and victim surcharge, was issued to an owner from Battersea. Colin Chiverton from the EA expressed his approval of the outcome, stating that “it sends a clear warning to all unregistered boat owners.” He added, “If you have an unregistered boat on the Thames, you should know that our enforcement teams are still out in October, patrolling the river and checking for valid registrations.”