Trade plates for recovery, not return
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• A company director who used a Land-Rover to tow his caravan from its site at Sheringham, Norfolk, to his garage at Kettering, and back again after repairs to the caravan, was given an absolute discharge, though found guilty at Fakenham, Norfolk, magistrates' court. Mr J. G. Forvargue, of Grampion House, Bayes Street, Kettering, a director of Chrysler Garages Ltd, of Bayes Road, Kettering, was charged with using the Land-Rover on trade plates to recover his damaged caravan from its site, and using it to return the repaired caravan to the site. Mr Peter Bowers told the magistrates that the prosecution's interpretation of the new regulations was that a recovery vehicle using trade plates could only recover disabled vehicles, and not return them after repair.
Mr Bowers said that to use trade plates the vehicle must either be temporarily in the possession of the trader in the course of his business, or it must be a recovery vehicle.
Mr Forvargue said that they had read the new Act, and everything they could find about the new regulations, and there was no question of trying to violate the law. Mr J. Rose, for Chrysler Garages, submitted that the caravan was a vehicle which was temporarily in the possession of a trader in the course of his business. As the regulations stated that a vehicle and a trailer should be regarded as one unit he thought the Land Rover would take the part of the caravan. The Act allowed the return of such a vehicle, with the use of trade plates, after repairs.
Mr Bowers replied that the trailer must become part of the vehicle towing it, not the other way round. "You cannot have a vehicle like a chameleon, changing colour whatever trailer is put on the back."