Birmingham firm fined over illegal advertising placards
A company that illegally advertised its business on streets in Birmingham has been fined almost £3,000.
Terry & Thomas Construction Ltd of Redfern Road, Tyseley, was fined £200 for each of the 14 placards by Birmingham Magistrates' Court, and ordered to pay £175 costs, giving a total of £2,975.
In November 2009, environmental wardens at Birmingham City Council were notified of illegal placards advertising a firm called Tyseley Metals that had been fly-posted in the Acocks Green and South Yardley area of the city.
They wrote to Terry & Thomas Construction Ltd, the parent company of Tyseley Metals, asking that they remove the illegal advertisements, but this request was ignored, Birmingham City Council said.
A director of Terry & Thomas Construction Ltd was interviewed, but refused to give details of who had erected the advertisements on the company's behalf.
When the case went to Birmingham Magistrates' Court, there was no appearance in court by the defendant company, and magistrates fined the firm in its absence.
Councillor Neil Eustace, chair of the Public Protection Committee at Birmingham City Council, said: "Illegal advertisements undermine those businesses that have to pay for legitimate advertising and are also a visible blight on the streets in which they are posted.
"They are also a real danger to both pedestrians and drivers as they obscure lines of sight on the highways, which can result in road traffic accidents.
"I am pleased that the courts are signalling their support for the council's action against illegal advertisements by issuing this level of fine."
