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ACID TRAVELLER CONVICTED

At a hearing at Folkestone magistrates’ court (18 May) a German man pleaded guilty to two charges under the Merchant Shipping (Dangerous Goods and Marine Pollutants) regulations 1997.

The man Mr Fred Fourmont (47) from Neurupin in Germany was fined £1000 for each offence and in addition ordered to pay £1000 costs.

On Thursday 11 May 2006, Mr Fourmont’s silver VW Golf Estate car was stopped after crossing the English Channel from Calais to Dover aboard the ferry `Pride of Burgundy’. The car was found to contain 12 large plastic containers which held 300Kg of sulphuric acid. This substance is classified under the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code as Class 8 Corrosive.

Mr Fourmont, who was travelling alone in the car, boarded the vessel in Calais using a tourist ticket and did not declare his cargo. He had covered the cargo with a blanket. Mr Fourmont should have gone through the freight check in, so that the Dangerous Goods could be dealt with in the correct manner.

In passing sentence the Magistrates said, "We are satisfied that you ought to have known that the goods were dangerous. You put your fellow passengers and crew of the ship in great danger."