Firefighters fined
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• by Jack Beavin Two firefighters who moonlighted as casual drivers for Eddie Stobart have been prosecuted for working excess hours.
After examining driving records seized from the haulier's offices in Carlisle, Vehicle Inspectorate officials discovered that one of the men, David Bolton, had worked 18 consecutive days without taking sufficient time off.
At Penrtth Magistrates Court, Bolton and fellow Carlisle firefighter Douglas Beresford admitted breaking the rule compelling drivers to take 48 hours' rest after working six consecutive days. Beresford admitted working for eight consecutive days.
Both men combined driving for Stobart with their jobs as full-time firefighters, in which they work four days on and four days off.
They were each fined .£150.
The offences came to light after Commercial Motor reported how regular Stobart drivers complained to Fire Service officials, suggesting the men could be left too tired for firefighting.
The drivers alleged that some Cumbrian firefighters regularly made gruelling long-haul journeys during their Fire Service rest days.
Margaret Edmunds, a northern area manager for the Road Haulage Association, says the allegations are a matter of "grave concern", adding: "I personally find it frightening.'
A Vehicle Inspectorate spokeswoman has praised the role of the media in highlighting the problem, saying that despite regular checks on firms, casual drivers can "slip through the net".
She adds: "Driving an HGV is quite stressful and tiring, and anybody who has been working for 18 days would certainty pose a potential risk to both themselves and other road users."
Beresford and Bolton must now wait for the outcome of an internal Fire Service investigation.
Eddie Stobart was unavailable for comment, but company officials have pointed out that the firm brake no laws and that managers believed the firefighters had taken proper rests before doing shifts.
It is feared that moonlighting may increase when the working time directive is in place.