Driver in a 'climate of fear' • A Neath lorry
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driver, who admitted committing 46 hours and tachograph offences in 10 weeks, escaped with a conditional discharge after telling Llanelli magistrates that he had worked in a "climate of fear".
Christopher Featherstone said he and other drivers working for a West Wales haulage firm who tried to abide by the drivers' hours and tachograph regulations were intimidated and had their pay docked by the proprietor, who told them to drive on. He was given a conditional discharge for three years, and ordered to pay £55 costs after the court heard of the pressure he was under. Prosecuting for the Vehicle Inspec torate, Christine Pritchard said the firm was not being named, as the VI was trying to trace its proprietor so it could serve summonses on him. Featherstone had told traffic examiners that though the firm's transport manager had given drivers verbal warnings about missing breaks, the proprietor had refused to let him put them in writing. Featherstone had also said he was told to put someone else's name on tacho records or to put no name on at all. Featherstone said his boss had eyes everywhere. If he stopped anywhere on the road he seemed to know about it and he docked his pay. He was not the only driver who had such problems with the boss, he was an intimidating person.