London Zoo’s fine cut – as it’s a charity

LONDON Zoo had a fine for health and safety breaches slashed by more than 86 per cent by a judge due to its conservation work and dependency on donations.

The zoo would have been fined £300,000 for two breaches that led to a keeper falling eight feet from a faulty ladder. But the judge reduced the fine to £40,000.

Zoo keeper Angelina Lawson suffered neck injuries in July 2016 as she removed hawk droppings from a shelf.

Judge Richard Blake said: ‘I have heard evidence about the Zoological Society of London. They work throughout the world and it’s a principle in their work for the conservation and protection of animals.

‘It’s important to remember that the majority of its turnover is from donations from members of the public.’

Miss Lawson had not received any ladder training during the four years she had worked there, Westminster magistrates’ court was told. She was cleaning when the ladder collapsed underneath her and she hit the wooden floor.

The stepladder had been put in a yard to be binned but did not have any signs warning staff that it was broken.

An employee admitted he had not told all of his colleagues that it was in the yard to be taken to the skip. There was also said to have been a shortage of ladders available at the time of the accident.