Not lost but gone before
Page 46
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A TRACTIVE UNIT with a trailer loaded with a container goes by. There's no livery. What would be the chance of anyone working out what's in the container?
Terry Smith, who drives for Stephens Transport Ltd, of Newport, Gwent, which has a contract with Bell Lines, heard the boys at work talking about a load of cheese that had been stolen. The next day, a Sunday, on the M6, he was passed by a white Volvo hauling a brown container with no index number or TIR plate. The trailer was purple, which is his company's colour.
Terry followed it and saw that the container tended to sway — like one which is loaded with cheese and is top-heavy — and seeing a parked police car, reported his suspicions. The police went after the Volvo, but by the time Terry caught them up the driver had just about convinced the officer the load was not stolen. However, he was unable to convince Terry, and later made a dash for it and got away while the officer was checking under the vehicle.
"He's gone," — Terry told the officer.
"Who?"
"That fellow you said hadn't pinched our trailer," said Terry.
The result: One load of cheese recovered; one stolen Volvo returned to its owner, Newage Kitchen Liverpool; and later a cheque for Terry awarded as a mark of appreciation from the National Transit Insurance Co Ltd, London W4.