A builder who threatened inspectors from Britain’s workplace regulator and told them his name was James Bond has been fined.
David Robert Lane, 59, was the site manager of an extensive cottage refurbishment in Staffordshire when unsafe work caught the attention of two inspectors from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
When carrying out routine inspections in the Rugeley area on 11 February 2025 the HSE inspectors spotted two men on the site accessing a roof from the bucket of an excavator.
Clearly identifying the practice to be unsafe, the inspectors decided they had to stop and take action.
Inspectors took a photo of the dangerous working at height showing the men stripping the roof – one of them working from the bucket of an extended excavator.
The other man was stripping the roof without any scaffolding or form of edge protection.
Threatened HSE
There were around 10 workers on the site and when the inspectors approached. David Lane, who would later be identified as the site manager, came over to intervene.
He refused to identify himself, except as James Bond, and rebuffed their attempts to inspect the site. He went on to tell the inspectors he was in fact the property owner, that the men on site were unpaid friends and relatives, and that they had no legal right to inspect.
He followed that up with threats of violence, at which point the inspectors withdrew.
The two inspectors returned to the site a week later, accompanied by officers from Staffordshire Police. Site manager David Lane greeted them with a shout of “It’s PC Plod!” while still refusing to identify himself.
He maintained that he was the owner, told all his staff not to speak to HSE, except to confirm that they were his relatives and not at work, and told the inspectors once again that they had no right to inspect and to leave the site.
Enforcement Action
After making several enquiries, the inspectors were able to identify David Lane as the site manager – this resulted in him being served with enforcement action.
When David Lane received notification that he was to be prosecuted for the offence of obstruction, he responded with three expletive laden emails, and said “I won’t jump through your hoops”.
David Robert Lane, of Talbot Street, Rugeley, Staffordshire, failed to attend Birmingham Magistrates Court on two occasions.
At the second hearing he was found guilty after being tried in his absence on 9 January. He was fined £3,000, ordered to pay full costs of £6,450 and must pay a victim surcharge of £1,200.
Safeguarding Workers
Speaking after the hearing, HSE Inspector Gareth Langston said: “This case highlights the difficulties we face in trying to improve the health and safety of workers across Great Britain.
“HSE inspectors have an important job to do, in safeguarding the health, safety and welfare of people at work. This includes investigating incidents and securing justice for innocent workers and the families that are tragically left behind.
“We conduct more than 13,000 inspections every year and it is through this proactive engagement that we are able to advise employers on how they can improve their ways of working, we only take enforcement action when the circumstances require it.
“We accept that not all employers will be pleased to see us, but the vast majority are professional and accept us with good grace.
“HSE will not tolerate the obstruction of its inspectors, and may prosecute offenders in rare cases such as this, where this is necessary.”
This HSE prosecution was brought be enforcement lawyer Edward Parton and paralegal officer Hannah Snelling.