Seven boat registration reoffenders back in court for more fines
Additional first-time offenders bring recent hearing payments to 拢27,541. More to come as summer patrols serve 68 notices.
La Belle View.
Seven听reoffending听boat听owners听have听faced a second day in听Staines Magistrates鈥櫶齝ourt after听neglecting to pay their registration fees for consecutive years.听
Environment Agency officers patrolling Penton Hook marina听on听1 April 2025听found听the vessels moored听in neighbouring berths to where听they鈥檇听been served notices听just 16听months earlier.
Colin Chiverton, Environment Manager at the Environment Agency said:
This is incredible. Fresh from their day in court, these owners received re-registration letters and ignored them all over again.
So back to Staines they go for more court fees, more听surcharges听and more fines. Have they learned this time around?听I hope so, as if they keep offending,听we鈥檒l听keep catching them.
Second time offender, Leslie Marsh of Chertsey, was fined 拢500 for his boat Oopsie Daisy, and ordered to pay an additional 拢200 Victim Surcharge and 拢275 Costs for the offence despite paying the 拢1341.81 registration fee before the court date, as once a summons has been issued the Environment Agency will not stop court proceedings.
The owner of 'Oopsie Daisy' was fined 拢500 for not registering their boat.
11 offences brought fines of costs of 拢27,541
In the听4听November听and听2听December batch of prosecutions, the court also heard that听three first听time offenders had skipped the annual registration fee (including an owner of two boats).
One of these was Klaus Beversluis, owner of La Belle View, a large Dutch barge. The court heard that Beversluis had paid no annual registration fee since ownership had been transferred to him in 2021. He pleaded guilty to the offence and was ordered to pay the 2025 registration fee of 拢3,664.60 and given 12 months conditional discharge.
In total all 11 offences brought hearing fines and costs over the last six weeks to 拢27,541.
This year鈥檚 patrols have still shown unacceptably high levels of registration evasion in marinas and urbanised parts of the river.听
Since听January听a total number of听2,447听boat registration checks听have听been听undertaken by officers on patrol,听and a further 拢91,439听in boat registration fees has been protected听by听enforcement听action听without it becoming necessary to prosecute those evaders.
Colin Chiverton added:
Our officers are out all year long patrolling the river, checking the marinas and taking action against those who cheat their fellow boaters.
Our approach to non-registration on the Thames has changed 鈥� boat owners are given ample opportunity to register their boat however once a summons has been issued, it won鈥檛 stop us taking them to court, even if they subsequently pay their registration fee.
More hearings are to come as, on river patrols earlier this year, Environment Agency enforcement officers discovered听12听unregistered vessels during spot checks in Bossoms Boat Yard (Oxford), Caversham and Walton Marina. These will be heard in court in 2026.
Similar to听excise duty for road vehicles, boat registration fees allow the Environment Agency to manage and听maintain听more than 600 miles of inland waterways across England, keeping them open and safe for thousands of boaters听to enjoy.听
Boats can be registered by听calling 03708 506 506 or visiting the River Thames boat registration page.
Background
Reoffenders听summoned to听court听hearings听on听4听November听and听2听December were:听听
- 4/11 - Brian Harvey听from听Walton on Thames, Surrey, owner of听SEA DANCER听
- 4/11听鈥撎齊ussell Reed听of Wimbledon, London,听owner of听ARRIS鈥橢RE听
- 4/11 -听Leah Macfarlane听from听Woking, Surrey, owner of听JOYSEE听 *4/11听-听Duncan Hayward听from听Chertsey,听Surrey,听owner of听MAVERICK III听
- 4/11 -听Gregory O鈥橫ahony听from听Surbiton,听Surrey, owner of听BRIENDA听
- 2/12 - Leslie Vallely听of听Teddington,听Middlesex, owner of听VIEW FINDER听
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2/12 -听Leslie Marsh听of听Chertsey,听Surrey听owner of听OOPSIE DAISY听
- During 2025, 30 offenders have been ordered to pay a total of 拢36,695 for registration offences.
- Although Environment Agency officers made 2,447 registration checks this year, lock keepers make checks of their own 鈥� this brings the total up to 4030 checks.听
- Owners of powered or non-powered Boats (including paddleboards) must register their boats annually with the Environment Agency for use on the non-tidal River Thames.听听
- Boat registration on the Thames starts on 1st January every year. Any boats found on the water after that date, without having registered, may be liable to a fine.听
- In September 2025,听during a river wide census, Environment Agency officers recorded the locations of 10,147听boats on the听navigation.听
Cases were heard at Staines Magistrates鈥� Court on 4 November and 2 December 2025
| Boat Name | Owner | Plea | Fine | Comp | VS | Costs | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 November | 听 | 听 | 听 | 听 | 听 | 听 | 听 |
| JOYSEE | Leah MACFARLANE Of Woking, Surrey. | Guilty in absence | 拢220 | 拢473.58 | 拢88.28 | 拢275 | 拢1,056.86 |
| ARRIS`ERE | Russel REED Of Wimbledon | Guilty in absence | 拢220 | 拢631.44 | 拢88.28 | 拢275 | 拢1,214.72 |
| LA BELLE VIEW | Klaus BEVERSLUIS Of Worcester Park, Surrey. | Guilty (12 Months Conditional Discharge) | Nil | 拢3,664.60 | Nil | Nil | 拢3,664.60 |
| BRIENDA | Greg O鈥橫AHONY Of Surbiton, Surrey. | Guilty | 拢80 | 拢766.27 | 拢26 | 拢250 | 拢1,122.27 |
| SEA DANCER | Brian HARVEY Of Walton-on-Thames, Surrey | Guilty in absence | 拢220 | 拢631.44 | 拢88 | 拢275 | 拢1,214.44 |
| MAVERICK III | Duncan HAYWARD Of Chertsey, Surrey. | Guilty (12 Months Conditional Discharge) | Nil | 拢1183.93 | Nil | Nil | 拢1,183.93 |
| MOONDARA II | Jamie MARTIN Of Hatfield, Herts. | Guilty (12 Months Conditional Discharge) | Nil | Nil | 拢26 | 拢250 | 拢276.00 |
| 2 December | 听 | 听 | 听 | 听 | 听 | 听 | 听 |
| PISCATOR 2 | Daniel LAINTON Of West Molesey, Surrey. | Proof in absence | 拢250 | 拢394.65 | 拢200 | 拢275 | 拢1,119.65 |
| LAINTON DORY/THAMES WARRIOR | Daniel LAINTON Of West Molesey, Surrey. | Proof in absence | 拢250 | 拢289.41 | Nil | Nil | 拢593.41 |
| VIEW FINDER | Leslie VALLELY Of Teddington, Middlesex, | Proof in absence | 拢330 | 拢631.44 | 拢140 | 拢275 | 拢1,376.44 |
| OOPSIE DAISY | Leslie MARSH Of Chertsey, Surrey. | Proof in absence | 拢500 | Nil (paid before court) | 拢200 | 拢275 | 拢975.00 |
| 听 | 听 | 听 | 听 | 听 | 听 | 听 | 听 | 听 | 听 | TOTALS | 拢2,070 | 拢8,666.76 | 拢856.56 | 拢2,150 | 拢13,797.32 |