Two companies that flouted London’s Safer Lorry Scheme (SLS) by using vehicles not fitted with safety equipment have been prosecuted and fined.

D&R Grab Hire and What A Load of Rubbish were stopped by officers and found to be in breach of the SLS traffic regulation order by having no Class VI mirrors or sideguards fitted to their vehicles.

The two companies appeared at City of London Magistrates on 9 December and were fined £500 each and made to pay court costs of £235 each.

Steve Burton, Transport for London’s (TfL) director of enforcement and on-street operations, said: “These non-compliant operators represent a small minority on our streets, we hope these prosecutions send out a clear message that we will continue to protect and secure our roads and push for the toughest penalties for anyone caught operating unlawfully.”

The SLS launched in September 2015 and ensures that vehicles weighing more than 3.5-tonnes entering the capital are fitted with sideguards and Class V and VI mirrors.

This is to help protect cyclists from being dragged under the wheels in the event of a collision and to give the driver a better view of cyclists and pedestrians.

TfL said that since the start of the SLS, 5,610 vehicles have been targeted and stopped, with 269 of those identified as non-compliant.