AN IRRESPONSIBLE company has been fined £12,000 by Sandwell Magistrates after a young boy was seriously injured at a laser tag arena in Oldbury.

Magistrates were told that the 11-year-old boy was injured when he fell onto a metal grid in the floor of The Raceway, Park Lane Trading Estate on July 13, 2013.

The boy sustained a deep laceration to a knee which required 60 stitches and he still has ongoing health issues following several operations on his injuries.

At Sandwell Magistrates Court on January 19, 2015 the then owners of the arena, DFI Services Ltd pleaded guilty to two offences.

The company, which no longer owns The Raceway, was fined £10,000 for a breach of Section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and £2,000 for a breach of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.

In addition the company was ordered to pay compensation to the injured child of £1,500 and £1,200 towards prosecution costs.

The company is also required to pay a victim’s surcharge making a total of £14820.

Council leader Councillor Darren Cooper, said: “We welcome the sentences on these charges because it is vitally important that companies are held responsible for their actions when people are injured on their premises under these circumstances.

“This was a very distressing case for the child concerned and it is fitting that the magistrates decided to take tough action on the company.”

DFI Services Ltd no longer own The Raceway.