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One of Britain's top pyrotechnics companies has been fined £40,000 for trying to take explosives onto a passenger ferry at Dover without the proper paperwork.
BPM SFX, which has created stunning special effects for pop stars Christina Aguilera, George Ezra, Rag and Bone Man and the Glastonbury Festival, pleaded guilty to having explosives on a lorry without the correct forms.
It was also ordered to pay the Maritime and Coastguard Agency its full prosecution costs of £19,404 plus £170 victim surcharge.
The company based in Burnley, Lancashire, admitted failing to comply with the Merchant Shipping (Dangerous Goods and Marine Pollutants) Regulations 1997 at Southampton magistrates' court today.
The court heard how staff at Dover found flammable liquid packed among cases in the back of the lorry intending to travel to Europe.
MCA surveyors then discovered black plastic shrink-wrapped pallets containing flammable liquid, compressed gas and explosives.
The court heard there had been no paperwork issued to the driver detailing the load, no Dangerous Goods Notes completed and the company had not declared the dangerous goods to Dover port.
The company said a mistake had been made by staff at its warehouse and that the dangerous goods should not have been loaded onto the lorry.
In passing sentence, Judge Greenfield said: “Had the dangerous goods not been found and the lorry allowed onto the passenger ferry, this could have been far more serious. The crew would have been unprepared should an incident have happened as they were not advised of the content of the load.”
MCA lead maritime investigator Dee Upshall said: “The presence of explosives on a passenger ferry, unbeknown to those operating the ferry, is very dangerous indeed and puts many people at serious risk.
"We are committed to stopping dangerous practices, and to holding accountable those responsible.”
Last year the company created special effects for the Christina Aguilera X European Tour in July, Calvin Harris and Snow Patrol European tours, the Leeds and Reading festivals and Glastonbury.
It has also worked with George Ezra at the Royal Albert Hall, Kiss FM, Radio 1, Enrique Iglesias, Eric Prydx and the Joshua and Ruiz 'Clash on the Dunes' boxing title fight in Saudi Arabia for Sky Sports.
