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Bond Villain Captured Risking Skyfall
A builder who threatened HSE inspectors with violence and told them his name was James Bond has been fined after inspectors saw his employees’ risking a fall from height.
David Robert Lane, 59, was the site manager of an extensive cottage refurbishment in Staffordshire when unsafe work caught the attention of two inspectors. The pair had been carrying out routine inspections in the Rugeley area on 11 February 2025 when they saw two people 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.
There were around ten workers on the site and when the inspectors approached, 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 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. After making several enquiries, the inspectors were able to identify Lane as the site manager – this resulted in him being served with enforcement action.
Upon receiving notification that he was to be prosecuted for the offence of obstruction, under 2 counts of section 33(1)(h) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, he responded with three expletive laden emails.
HSE defines work-related violence as ‘any incident in which a person is abused, threatened or assaulted in circumstances relating to their work’. This can include verbal abuse or threats, including face to face, online and via telephone and physical attacks. It can include violence from members of the public, customers, clients, patients, service users and students towards a person at work.
David Robert Lane, of Talbot Street, Rugeley, Staffordshire, failed to attend Birmingham Magistrates Court on two occasions. On the latter 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.
Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Gareth Langston said: “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.”
Picture: Inspectors took this photo of the unsafe working at height work taking place.
Article written by Cathryn Ellis
15th February 2026