James E Smith (Timber) Ltd has pleaded guilty to two offences under the Trade Descriptions Act 1968 and been given a two-year conditional discharge by Redditch magistrates.
The Birmingham importer and merchant was charged by Worcester Trading Standards with supplying Four Oaks Timber and Joinery Supplies Ltd’s Worcester depot with softwood under a ‘false trade description applied by means of a grading mark stamp’. The timber had been supplied as dry-graded but was shown to be ‘wet’ by Four Oaks ‘dry-grading protocol’, a conclusion supported by an official inspection by TRADA Technology.
The consignment of timber formed part of an articulated lorry load which Four Oaks had ordered after a delivery of long-length dry-graded timber from an overseas supplier fell through. The rest was divided between the company’s other depots.
At the July 17 hearing, Redditch magistrates said their decision to give James E Smith a conditional discharge reflected the fact that the case involved only a small amount of timber and that the company had no previous convictions and had co-operated fully over the incident. They also ordered the firm to pay £2,743 costs.
Barry Hurst, managing director of James E Smith, said this week: ‘A small amount of a large consignment failed to meet the moisture levels. The opportunity to correct the mistake was not given.’
