Poultry firm racks up £65,000 bill for equipment misuse
Al-Ummah Halal Poultry Ltd of Barnsley has been fined for repeatedly using another company’s equipment without permission. The firm, which has also been fined previously for equipment misuse, has agreed to pay an additional £18,000 in costs and damages to Bakers Basco.
The latest agreement was the result of a mediation meeting between Al-Ummah, Bakers Basco management, both parties’ legal teams and an Independent Mediator, after Bakers Basco issued a new claim for additional costs and damages. It means the Yorkshire-based chicken processor is £65,000 out of pocket in total.
Examples of the Bakers Basco equipment used without permission by Al-Ummah.
Al-Ummah is currently subject to an indefinite restraining injunction to prevent it converting Bakers Basco equipment for its own uses, which was issued on 17th May 2017. Historically, Al-Ummah has already paid £47,522.53 in damages and costs.
Steve Millward, general manager at Bakers Basco, said: “Our baskets and dollies are designed for one sole purpose – to allow the bakeries which are members of our scheme to transport bread safely, cost-effectively and in an environmentally-friendly way.
“When people divert them for their own use, it not only has a knock-on effect on the bakers that pay to license them but also on retailers and, at the end of the day, Joe Public, all of whom end up footing the bill for the actions of a small minority.”
As part of the latest agreement and in addition to the fines, Al-Ummah will provide Bakers Basco with a copy of its customer database, as of May 2017; a copy of a letter sent to all employees informing them of the May 2017 Injunction, and warning of disciplinary proceedings if they knowingly allow the injunction to be breached.
The company must also provide evidence showing that signs have been installed at Al-Ummah’s premises to show that Bakers Basco equipment (and that of its membership) is not to be allowed onto the defendant’s current or any future premises.
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