Right to reply

Cats & Pipes has issued a statement in response to the press release issued by the DVSA earlier this week.

The statement reads: Cats & Pipes has categorically not been prosecuted by the DVSA for supplying DPF’s which failed to meet legal required environmental requirements.

The unit in question failed to meet labelling standards, missing an engraved part number, however the unit itself was compliant.

The DVSA originally entered four similar charges, dropping three of those charges prior to the judge’s deliberation.

On the remaining charge following submissions in mitigation on behalf of the company the district judge stated the following facts as found: the offence related to a one-off incident which was the result of a temporary agency worker not following the instructions and training he had been given; there had been no systemic failures on the part of the company; the offence was technical in nature and related only to a failure to indelibly mark the part as required by the regulations; the part was type approved and would therefore function correctly in reducing exhaust emissions.

Cats & Pipes managing director, David Carpenter said: “As a company we have and always will take compliance and quality assurance extremely seriously. Our test facility is one of the best in Europe and we also operate a comprehensive quality assurance system which meets ISO 9001:2015.

“We were therefore disappointed when it came to light over two years ago that one of our products had left the production facility contrary to our quality procedures, without an indelibly marked part number.

“As the unit met all other environmental standards we expected an external audit by the DVSA of the quality assurance to ensure compliance and no further action. However, the DVSA considered it preferable to proceed with a court case bringing four charges, three of which were dropped on the day of the trial and prior to the judge’s deliberations.

“The DVSA were also supplied with evidence of the fact that the company had already identified this issue and that steps had been put in place to ensure this oversight in process would not be repeated.

“The closing comments from the judge puts this into perspective and as a company we feel disillusioned and wholly disappointed in the way this has been handled by personnel within the DVSA.”