A MAN who lives in Kingston upon Thames has been fined £800 for illegally mooring his boats near a busy Lock on the river.

Alistair Trotman, 55, kept his two boats Kupe and Rhythm of River on the same spot at Molesey Lock between October 2018 and March 2019.

Trotman did not have the permission of the landowner to be there and was asked repeatedly to leave via phone calls, letters and notices placed on his boats.

He was also ordered by a Thames harbour master to remove the barges.

According to the Environment Agency, boats moored permanently without the consent of the landowner can only remain stationary on the non-tidal Thames for up to 24 hours and mustn't cause an obstruction to other traffic.

Trotman moved Rhythm of River a few metres from its original position after being warned legal action was a possibility, but this was still in breach of the harbour master notices.

In March 2019, both his boats were towed away by the Environment Agency.

The Agency then took Trotman to court for compromising the safe passage of other boats through the Lock, with officers giving evidence that the moorings had obstructed other boats and exposed them to possible danger.

District judge Susan Cooper ruled in favour of the harbour master's evidence that the boats "were likely to affect the navigation of other vessels" in a stretch of water narrowed by Trotman's actions.

Trotman was found to have breached the Thames Navigation Licensing and General Byelaws 1993 and the Thames Conservancy Act 1932 - both once for each barge - and fined £200 for each of the 4 offences.

He was also ordered to pay the Environment Agency's costs of £20,591.40 and a victim surcharge of £80 at Staines magistrates court last week (19 January).

Colin Chiverton, environment manager for the River Thames at the Environment Agency, said: "Trotman showed contempt for the rules. He moored both boats illegally in the same place for many months, disregarding harbour master directions.

"Most boats using our locks do so lawfully and continue along the river. Trotman's £800 fine and nearly £21,000 costs, instead of the taxpayer footing the legal bill, show the result of not doing so.

"The Environment Agency also maintains some limited short-stay public moorings along almost 150 miles of the non-tidal River Thames to encourage pleasure boating and enable secure berthing at set locations.

"We urge all Thames boat-owners to consider the size and type of vessel they use and how to comply with mooring requirements."