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French cops take British truck after demanding €6,000 fine
Page 9
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WEST MIDLANDS haulier las slammed the treatment of one 3f his drivers after French police eft him stranded in France with3ut his truck following a routine tachograph offence.
Olton International Freight driver Steve Kennedy was enroute to Paris last Thursday (15 January) when he was pulled up for defective tacho calibration. Police took his truck to a local garage to have his tacho re-calibrated and resealed, which cost him E108 (£76). They then demanded that he paid them a fine of E6,000 (£3,186) When he couldn't pay they impounded his truck.
The firm then had to send another vehicle out to collect the trailer and rescue Kennedy.
Olton International MD Marlyn Moseley says:"We were not aware of any defect.We have trucks going in and out of France daily and they always seem to be targeted by the French police.
"It wouldn't happen to a foreign driver over here as the British police wouldn't be able to treat them like that," he points out. "Foreign drivers are able to come over here. use our roads, pay no tax and then take our loads back to France.
"It's an extortionate fine but we'll have to scrape the pennies together somehow to get the truck back. The British Consulate in Lille has been unable to help us."