A RETAILER has been fined £30,000 for selling two unsafe glideboards.

B & M Retail Ltd pleaded pleading guilty to an offence under the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008 relating to the boards which were sold at its Northallerton store.

The case was brought by North Yorkshire County Council and the court heard that a trading standards officer made a test purchase of two boards from the store on December 3, 2015.

It was found that a charging unit on one of the boards had no cut-off device to prevent the battery overcharging.

Other problems were found with the plug and fuse, which could have posed a fire hazard.

The officer also found a fault on the board which created a risk of electrocution.

Sentencing the company at Leeds Crown Court, Judge Neil Clarke said: “There were a combination of errors by the suppliers and the reality was that the product should have been checked again.”

The starting point for the fine was £40,000 but that was reduced to £30,000 in recognition of the company’s early guilty plea. The company was also ordered to pay the full prosecution costs of £10,763.