A RURAL broadband company which operates across the county has been fined £1,400 after its workers failed to meet safety standards.

The firm involved – Carnforth based Broadband for The Rural North Limited – committed the offence while doing work at Kirkoswald in the Eden Valley by failing to put in place legally required street safety measures.

Michael Lee, chief executive of the not for profit ‘community benefit society’, entered a guilty plea to the offence – the company’s first ever offence.

Prosecutor Jonathan Farnsworth told Carlisle’s Rickergate court that the offence came to light on May 26 when a Cumbria County Council street-works inspector visited Fetherston Hill at Kirkoswald.

Arriving at 8.20am, he found that the work had reduced the road to an unacceptable width while the only pavement was blocked. “There was no other options than for pedestrians to walk in the road to get around the works,” said Mr Farnsworth.

Nor were there any traffic lights in place or traffic signs to warn approaching motorists of the work that was going on. “There was a risk of a collision, basically,” said the prosecutor, pointing out that the approach to the site was a steep hill.

The court heard that no provision was made for disabled pedestrians while one local resident with small children was forced to walk with them in the centre of the road in order to get to her house.

But Mr Farnsworth said that the company had responded swiftly when told about the problems, though it later emerged that they did not have the appropriate permit for the work, though this was swiftly remedied.

Addressing the court, Lee said: “I would like to fully acknowledge that we were at fault in this instance and considered that this situation was totally unacceptable. We have taken this incredibly seriously.”

He outlined how immediately after being made aware of the problem, the company launched a “root cause” investigation and worked with the County Council, analysing what went wrong and taking steps to ensure it did not happen again .

Magistrates imposed both the fine as well as a £140 victim surcharge and costs of £651. “We have made changes throughout to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” added Lee.

The firm's offence was prosecuted under the New Road and Street Works Act 1991.