An appeal by L Lynch Plant Hire and Haulage Ltd has seen an £800,000 fine for moving an abnormal load without proper notification reduced to £10,000.

The hirer was stunned by the size of the fine in April which it blamed on a clerical error.

The hire firm was charged as part of Operation Nightstare by the West Midlands Police Commercial Vehicle Unit.

In March 2024 at the NEC near the M42, officers stopped a heavy goods vehicle transporting a large excavator and associated plant equipment.

A movement notification had been submitted by the plant hire operator, but the vehicle was travelling on a different axle than the one detailed.

Lynch launched an appeal against the size of the fine which was upheld by Her Honour Justice Buckingham.

She said: “Having reflected on the penalty and with respect to District Judge Qureshi, the fine imposed in the Magistrates Court was ‘manifestly excessive’.

“Lynch were guilty of only a low level of culpability and harm, if in fact any harm at all had resulted from what was an offence of an entirely technical nature due to human error.

“The vehicle the subject of the offence was otherwise entirely compliant of relevant road regulations and continued safely on its journey as it was already being escorted by Lynch vehicles and there were no aggravating features to the offence at all. The fine is therefore reduced from £800,000 to £10,000.”