Virgin Media has been ordered to pay nearly £40,000 in fines and legal fees after road workers "endangered lives of pedestrians" for the third time in three years.

Richmond Council prosecuted the telecommunications giant after discovering that pedestrians and drivers in Runnymede Gardens in Whitton were faced with "no road protection" when a circular saw was found in the road.

Virgin Media contractors had also left an open, unguarded trench, where the workers had no accreditation.

Council officers had also found abandoned signs in Waldegrave Road in Teddington, along with 32 pavement slabs missing from the footway and filled with uncompressed tarmac, leaving to an "uneven and dangerous surface".

Magistrates convicted Virgin Media of 10 offcences at Lavender Hill Magistrates' Court on January 10, and sentenced the company to a fine amounting to £37,500.

They were also ordered to pay Richmond Council's legal costs of £2,184.44, along with a victim surcharge of £170.

Councillor Peter Buckwell, cabinet member for highways, said: “This really is unacceptable. When will Virgin Media Ltd learn from their mistakes?

“The safety of our residents is of the utmost importance. And, our officers will continue to prosecute companies that fail to comply with streetworks legislation whilst carrying out work on roads across the borough.

“We monitor all companies who carry out works. And, this should be a warning. If you are not safe – we will prosecute.”

A Virgin Media spokeswoman said: “While we continue to expand our fibre broadband network to more homes across the country, we endeavour to minimise disruption for the local communities.

“In this case, we apologise to Richmond Council and the local residents affected by the streetworks carried out by contract partners on behalf of Virgin Media.

“We are working with our contractors to ensure that all work is carried out with professionalism and at the highest standard, and to safeguard against such mistakes in the future.”

A council spokesman said the company was prosecuted for "endangering lives", and that the company had been prosecuted by the council for the third time in three years for failings connected to street works.

Virgin Media was previously fined £14,000 with costs in 2014 and in 2015 fined £28,000 and awarded costs of £3,279.