diff --git a/t/cobrand/isleofwight.t b/t/cobrand/isleofwight.t
index 04054663c8..3c5591d966 100644
--- a/t/cobrand/isleofwight.t
+++ b/t/cobrand/isleofwight.t
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ $contact->set_extra_fields( ( {
     order => 1,
     datatype_description => 'datatype',
 } ) );
+$contact->set_extra_metadata( group => ['Roads'] );
 $contact->update;
 
 my $user = $mech->create_user_ok('user@example.org', name => 'Test User');
@@ -67,6 +68,10 @@ $admin_user->user_body_permissions->create({
     body => $isleofwight,
     permission_type => 'triage'
 });
+$admin_user->user_body_permissions->create({
+    body => $isleofwight,
+    permission_type => 'report_inspect',
+});
 
 my @reports = $mech->create_problems_for_body(1, $isleofwight->id, 'An Isle of wight report', {
     confirmed => '2019-10-25 09:00',
@@ -590,6 +595,37 @@ subtest "reports are marked for triage upon submission" => sub {
         my $email = $mech->get_email;
         like $mech->get_text_body_from_email($email),
             qr/submitted to Island Roads for review/, 'correct text for email sent for Triage';
+
+        $mech->log_in_ok( $admin_user->email );
+        $mech->get_ok( '/report/' . $report->id );
+        $mech->content_contains(
+            '<optgroup label="Roads">',
+            'there is a "Roads" optgroup',
+        );
+        $mech->content_contains(
+            '<option value="" selected>-- Please select --</option>',
+            'there is an empty-valued option selected by default',
+        );
+
+        $mech->submit_form( form_id => 'report_inspect_form' );
+        $mech->text_contains( 'Please choose a category',
+            'Form requires a category be chosen' );
+
+        $mech->submit_form(
+            form_id => 'report_inspect_form',
+            fields  => { category => $contact->id },    # Pothole
+        );
+        $mech->get_ok( '/report/' . $report->id );
+        $mech->text_contains(
+            'Report triaged from Roads to Potholes',
+            'Update message describes triage',
+        );
+        $mech->content_contains(
+            '<option value="Potholes" selected>',
+            'Potholes selected as category',
+        );
+        $mech->content_lacks( '-- Please select --',
+            'No blank category available anymore' );
     };
 };
 
diff --git a/templates/web/base/admin/triage/_inspect.html b/templates/web/base/admin/triage/_inspect.html
index 8302a010ae..da11e05a6e 100644
--- a/templates/web/base/admin/triage/_inspect.html
+++ b/templates/web/base/admin/triage/_inspect.html
@@ -1,16 +1,29 @@
 [% BLOCK category_list %]
-<select class="form-control" name="[% field_name %]" id="[% field_name %]">
+<select class="form-control" name="[% field_name %]" id="[% field_name %]" required>
   [% IF category_options.size %]
         [%~ IF category_groups.size ~%]
             [%~ FOREACH group IN category_groups ~%]
                 [% IF group.name %]<optgroup label="[% group.name %]">[% END %]
                 [% group_select = 0 %]
                 [% selected = 0 %]
-                [%~ FOREACH cat_op IN group.categories ~%]
+
+                [% SET categories = group.categories %]
+                [% IF c.cobrand.moniker == 'isleofwight' %]
+                  [%
+                    # Isle of Wight selects a blank option by default,
+                    # to force admin user to select a triage category
+                  %]
+                  [% categories.unshift(
+                      { id => '', category_display => loc('-- Please select --') }
+                    )
+                  %]
+                [% END %]
+
+                [%~ FOREACH cat_op IN categories ~%]
                     [% IF group_select == 0 AND problem.category == group.name %]
                         [% selected = 1; group_select = 1 %]
                     [% END %]
-                    <option value="[% cat_op.id %]"[% ' selected' IF selected OR problem.contact.id == cat_op.id %]>[% cat_op.category_display %] ([% cat_op.email %])</option>
+                    <option value="[% cat_op.id %]"[% ' selected' IF selected OR problem.contact.id == cat_op.id %]>[% cat_op.category_display %][% IF cat_op.email %] ([% cat_op.email %])[% END %]</option>
                     [% selected = 0 %]
                 [%~ END ~%]
                 [% IF group.name %]</optgroup>[% END %]