A council crackdown on companies carrying out unauthorised work on county highways could result in fines and court prosecutions.

Hertfordshire County Council is taking action on companies found to be working without a permit or in breach of their permit conditions after a number of recent unauthorised activities on Hertfordshire’s highway network.

The county council's Highways department is reminding utilities and other companies that they must obtain a Hertfordshire County Council permit before their work can begin as unauthorised work can cause traffic congestion and potential risks for road users.

The county council applies conditions to say when, where and how roadworks can take place in the county to help manage and reduce the impact of works on both the traffic and the environment.

When utility companies are found to be working in breach of their permit or without a permit at all, the relevant penalties are applied and the appropriate action is taken with the company carrying out the works.

This action can range from a fixed penalty notice to a court prosecution, depending on the circumstances.

Some of the problems typically found on site can vary from temporary traffic signals not being correctly operated, to works sites being unsafely guarded.

Depending on the severity of the issue, utilities are in some instances instructed to stop work and their permit may be revoked.

Terry Douris, Cabinet Member for Highways, said: "Unauthorised roadworks can cause real headaches for Hertfordshire road users and that’s why we’re taking this stance with anyone who goes ahead and digs up the road without permission, or disregards their permit conditions.

"Ultimately, it’s the residents and road users who suffer the impact of delays, and our highways team, who can see what’s happening in a particular area, work hard to coordinate the roadworks so the least disruption is caused."

If residents wish to report roadworks which they think may be unauthorised they should visit www.hertsdirect.org or call 0300 123 40 47.