£1.7m fines over ferry deaths

LONDON - Four companies were fined a record total of £1.7 million yesterday for the collapse of a ferry walkway at the Port of Ramsgate in Kent in 1994 when six people plunged to their deaths. A judge at the Old Bailey fined two Swedish companies £1 million; Lloyd's Register of Shipping £500,000 and Port of Ramsgate Ltd £200,000.