Altered licence
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A West Midland haulier who typed over an Operators Licence identity disc to make it appear than he held an 0-licence has been ordered to pay fines and costs totalling 8475. When Peter Randall, trading as DPR Transport, of Wednestield, appeared before the Lichfield magistrates he pleaded guilty to using an 0-licence identity disc with intent to deceive and to using a vehicle without the authority of an 0licence.
Prosecuting for the Vehicle Inspectorate, David James said that in March a vehicle driven by Randall and loaded with steel gratings had been directed to a check site at Wall, Staffs. The licence disc displayed in the windscreen was in the name of Peter Randall, but traffic examiner Karen Salisbury was suspicious as the disc appeared to have been typed over. When she checked on the computer she found that the 0-licence number on the disc no longer existed and the vehicle was not specified on any 0-licence.
When interviewed, Randall had admitted that he did not have a licence. He had said he had the vehicle since his father died in February 1998. He admitted typing over the details on the disc and putting it in the windscreen. Asked why he had not applied for an 0-licence, Randall had said he did not have a CPC but added that he was going to college in a fortnight.
Randall said he had not realised that what he had done was so serious. His father had left a lot of debts and he was trying to clear them. He was still working with a small pickup.
In reply to the magistrates, Randall said he had failed part of the CPC exam and it would be November before he could retake it. The magistrates said they had taken account of Randall's finances in deciding the level of the fines.