Magistrates impose £5,000 fine for two offences
The owner of an unlicensed riding school has been fined £5,000 following a prosecution brought by Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council.
Tamara Bastock, who ran The Limes Farm Equestrian Centre, Hildenborough, pleaded guilty to two charges under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 when she appeared before magistrates in Sevenoaks on Friday 21 January 2022.
The court was told that the council had written to the defendant in December 2020 reminding her that continuing to operate the stables without a licence was an offence and punishable with imprisonment and or a fine.
A council licensing officer subsequently visited the equestrian centre in July 2021 and found the defendant giving riding lessons to some girls. During a follow up visit in October 2021, she was again seen giving riding lessons to young children in the outside arena.
When interviewed by the council officer, the defendant admitted that she was running a riding business offering both group and individual lessons, with charges starting from £15 for half an hour. She also acknowledged that she needed a licence to carry out these activities and that her last licence had expired in 2018.
Bastock pleaded guilty to two charges of giving riding lessons in the course of her business when not licensed to do so and was fined £2,500 on each count. She was also ordered to pay £871 towards the council’s legal costs.
Cllr Des Keers, the council’s cabinet lead on licensing, said: ‘Getting a licence for a business providing horse riding lessons is vital as it ensures the regulations around customer safety and animal welfare are being met. Unfortunately, despite our previous warnings to the owner of this riding school, she was seen on multiple occasions to be giving lessons without a licence and we had no choice but to bring this prosecution.’