The ongoing autumn and winter crackdown on unregistered vessels in the Thames has now resulted in 40 boaters having to pay a combined total of over £55,000 for their offences.
Whilst on river patrols, Environment Agency enforcement officers discovered the unregistered vessels during spot checks at Penton Hook Marina in Surrey.
This latest inspection showed unacceptably high levels of registration evasion with a quarter of the boats in the marina (around 125 vessels) failing to have been registered. Every boat owner was traced and given ample warning and opportunity to register their boats correctly.
Staines magistrates’ court was told in the most recent round of cases that 26 owners had skipped the annual registration fee, determined by the length and width of the boat. The highest charges were issued to Jess Rugeris of Moseley for their boat Le Petit II (pictured) – over £3,371 including costs, fines, compensation and victim surcharge. (Full details of all fines below)
This latest round of enforcement action follows 14 boating offenders being prosecuted in October.
Colin Chiverton, Environment Manager at the Environment Agency said: “If you have an unregistered boat on the Thames, you should know that our enforcement teams remain out all winter patrolling the river, checking valid registrations and taking action against those who cheat their fellow boaters. With our ongoing crackdown, this Christmas we urge all Thames boaters to ensure they register their vessels ahead of the new year deadline. As our recent prosecutions clearly demonstrate, we will have no hesitation in bringing further offenders to court who avoid their obligations and responsibilities to lawful river users.”
Renewal invitation letters for 2025 registrations on the River Thames were sent in November to everyone that registered their boat this year and owners are encouraged to register early to ensure their boats are compliant by 1 January when the new season starts.
The Environment Agency’s approach to non-registration on the Thames has changed – boat owners are given ample opportunity to register their boat however once a summons has been issued, it won’t stop court proceedings, even if the boat owner subsequently pays their registration fee. Similar to excise duty for road vehicles, boat registration fees allow the Environment Agency to manage and maintain more than 600 miles of inland waterways across England, keeping them open and safe for thousands of boaters to enjoy.
Boats can be registered by calling 03708 506 506 or going to River Thames: boat registration and application forms – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
