On 16th January 2012, District Judge Barron, sitting st the Hammersmith Magistrates’ Court, stayed two summonses prosecuted by the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham as an abuse of the process of the court.

John Warrington acted on behalf of Thames Water Utilities Limited, alleged to have committed breaches of the street works regulations. John successfully argued that the act complained of constituted a single once and for all offence which had been disposed of by the acceptance of a fixed penalty notice on an earlier occasion.

It is understood that the local authority is considering an appeal to the Divisional Court.