Translation firm’s £46,000 penalties

A SADDLEWORTH company paid to provide court interpreters has been hit with thousands of pounds in fines and penalties by judges and government officials over poor performance.

The Ministry of Justice withheld £46,139 of payments to Capita over the performance of Delph-based Capita Translation and Interpreting between May 2012 and November 2013 — the maximum possible.

Judges filed 11 wasted cost orders against the company, totalling £7,229, to cover the bill to taxpayers caused by interpreters failing to turn up, the National Audit Office said.

The company was founded as Applied Language Solutions 10 years ago by local businessman Gavin Wheeldon, but bought by professional services firm Capita in December 2011 for £7.5 million.

In mid-2011 ALS won the contract to provide court translators across England from 2012, but staff shortages meant trials were disrupted.

The company has made progress since MPs accused it of causing ‘’total chaos’’ in 2012 but it is still not meeting its target to fulfil 98 per cent of bookings, the NAO said.