A FISH farm and its employee have been fined after a delivery vehicle was found to be exceeding the legal weight limit.

The large goods vehicle was subject to a routine assessment at Wellfield weighbridge off the A19 near Peterlee.

Enforcement officers recorded the rear axle was overloaded by 109kg, or 7.8 per cent, and the gross weight was overloaded by 730kg, or 20.9 per cent.

Magistrates in Newton Aycliffe on Wednesday (May 3) heard the vehicle was transporting live trout in a tank from Welham Park Trout Farms, Low paper Mill, Ellerburn, Thornton Le Dale, North Yorkshire.

The company and driver Stephen Peel, 49, of Leahurst Close, Norton, Malton, North Yorkshire, pleaded guilty in their absence to two counts of using a vehicle on a road maximum weight shown on manufacturer’s plate exceeded.

The court heard no mitigation was submitted from Peel but in a statement from company director Robert Booth, Mr Booth said the company accepted “all responsibility” for the offence and it had spurred the business on to carry out thorough checks.

The company was fined £294 and the driver was fined £177 one offence.

Both defendants were each ordered to pay £175 prosecution costs and a £30 victim surcharge.

For the second offence there was no separate penalty.