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Warning after driver runs away from police officer
Page 25
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A Lancashire coal merchant has escaped with a formal warning after one of its drivers drove off after being flagged down by the police.
Wigan-based F&AF Cheetham was called before the North Western Deputy Traffic Commissioner Patrick Mulvenna at a Leyland disciplinary inquiry.
PC Grahame Robinson, of Greater Manchester Police, said he observed an overloaded vehicle with the rear tyres bulging last September. He stopped the vehicle and spoke to the driver, Mark Frodsham, who produced tachograph charts.
Whilst he was examining the charts, Frodsham ran away only to return two minutes later. Boss Anthony Cheetham then arrived in a pickup and parked behind the vehicle. Robinson told both men that the vehicle needed to be weighed and instructed them to follow him to a weighbridge.
However, as the police car turned right to exit the industrial estate, the wagon and the pickup drove straight on. He gave chase but each time he tried to overtake he was blocked by the pickup. Both vehicles then turned into Cheetham's yard and Cheetham shouted to somebody to shut the gates. Robinson later observed the vehicle leave after approximately 50% of the load had been removed.
Cheetham was subsequently fined E1,200 for, among other things, aiding and abetting Frodsham to obstruct a police officer. Frodsham was fined 1800.
However, they both insisted the vehicle was not overloaded, so the DTC called for the vehicle to be weighed with the load it was said to be carrying on the day.
PC Robinson said the vehicle gross weight was 7,340kg.
On examination of a weighbridge ticket along with a delivery note, which Cheetham stated referred to the 73 sacks on the vehicle at the time of the offences, the gross weight was 7,220kg. He was still of the opinion that the vehicle was overloaded on the day.
Cheetham claimed he told Frodsham to follow the police car and he bawled at him for being such an idiot when he failed to. He pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting on legal advice.
The DTC said that he had no doubt that PC Robinson had been obstructed in the performance of his duties. He gave Cheetham the benefit of the doubt, as he was not satisfied that he had aided Frodsham.