Fish pressure led to chart offences
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• A number of hauliers and drivers involved in the carriage of fish from Aberdeen to Continental markets on behalf of Blue Water Shipping were ordered to pay fines and costs totalling £4,046 when they admitted a series of offences, including the falsification of tachograph records.
Prosecuting, Stephen l'Anson told the Kendal, Cumbria magistrates of a fatal accident on the M6 in February 1996 involving a vehicle carrying fresh fish from Aberdeen to the Continent. Following this Cumbria, Strathclyde and Grampian police teamed up with the Vehicle Inspectorate to mount Operation Night Trawler.
A series of silent checks were made, with vehicles being stopped at Penrith.
Deadlines were laid down for the fish to be on the Continent, said I'Anson. The drivers were put under pressure and the problem was that they could not do the journey in the day.
Loading at Aberdeen fish market and the run between Dartford and the ferry port often went unrecorded, he added. There were cases of false names being used on charts and of the clock being wound back.
Defending, James Backhouse said that there was no suggestion of conspiracy. The journey times were tight and if vehicles left Aberdeen late there was insufficient time to make the journey. It was clear that Blue Water Shipping had put a lot of financial pressure on the operators doing the work, who were aware there would be financial penalties if the fish did not arrive on time.
Owner-drivers were particularly vulnerable to that type of pressure, said Backhouse.
Driver Graham Thomson, of Old Me!drum, Inverurie was fined £750 with £54 costs; owner-driver John Smith, of Turriff was fined £450 with £54 costs; owner-dri ver Norman Elrick, of Arbroath was fined £690 with £54 costs—all for falsification offences. Ownerdriver Robert Duncan, of MacDuff, admitted an overloading offence and three of falsification; he was fined £1,150 with £54 costs.
Bridge of Don haulier Douglas Towler admitted an overloading offence and using a trailer with defective brakes. He was fined £750 with £40 costs.
The hearing of charges of falsification and obstruction of the police against Fraserburgh haulier George Davidson was adjourned as he failed to appear.