AL"4B 5-year-ban on operator
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A STORY of unfulfilled intentions, interlocked companies and past convictions led to the revocation at a public inquiry of an 0-licence for an operator.
Southern LA Randal Thornton sitting in Southampton, told Hampshire operator Brian Fidler that he had deliberately misused his 0-licence over a period of years. The LA said that Mr Fidler was suffering from a shortage of funds.
He said the condition of Mr Fidler's vehicles and premises when compared with evidence of intentions given at previous hearings, left him in no doubt that statements of intention were not to be relied upon.
Mr Thornton directed that the licence be revoked and Mr Fidler be disqualified from holding an 0-licence for five years.
Earlier he had heard both Hampshire police and the Road Haulage Association object to the continuation of the licence on grounds of insufficient funds and the previous convictions of Mr Fidler.
Mr Fidler claimed that companies with which he was associated were not linked but he allowed his wife, said to be the only director of other companies involved, to use his 0-licence. He told the inquiry that he thought there was nothing wrong with this.
Mr Fidler admitted to the inquiry that he was paying off a county court judgment of £2,500 and had other debts of E1,000. He denied personal liability for the companies but said that they had cost "the family" £25,000.
Mr Thornton in his summing up says that Mr Fidler had changed the registration of his vehicles from business to business. "So far as the evidence goes it does not appear that any of the vehicles specified on the 0-licence were registered in Mr Fidler's name," said Mr Thornton.
"Since I am satisfied that they were not I conclude that the object probably was to make it as difficult as possible for anyone to relate the vehicles to the operator's licence held by Mr Fidler," he said.