A dairy in Wolverhampton has been ordered to pay more than £10,500 after two milk floats were found to be dangerously overloaded.

Lorries belonging to Johal Dairies, based in Cannock Road, were discovered to be up to 38.5 per cent above their compulsory weight limit.

The case comes after the company was ordered to pay its rival JN Dairies’ £200,000 legal costs after a judge ruled last July that had deliberately tried to skim off a competitor firm’s business and customers.

Johal yesterday admitted four charges of permitting use of a vehicle exceeding the plated weight in a case at Wolverhampton Magistrates’ Court.

Amy Jacobs, prosecuting for Wolverhampton City Council, said two overloaded lorries were stopped last June 23 and September 24.

“These trucks are a danger to other vehicles and give an unfair edge over competitors,” she said.

Ben Williams, defending, said the firm had since installed a weighbridge at its Wolverhampton depot.Mr Williams said: “The firm should have had the weighbridge much sooner.

“There are now regular checks to ensure these offences do not recur.”

He added the firm, which turned over £18 million last year, was spending a significant amount of money to prevent overloading.

District Judge Graham Wilkinson said: “The two vehicles were overloaded considerably. I’m concerned about the danger these vehicles could cause to other drivers on the road.

“Hopefully, with the weighbridge installed, there will be no repeats.”

The firm, which employs 100 workers, was fined £6,000, with £4,500 costs and £15 victim surcharge.

Last July Johal was found to have paid a milkman £40,000 to steal confidential customer information from his former bosses at JN Dairies. Johal is in the process of appealing against the judgment.