Question of man or firm
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• A £2,000 fine for overloading would have automatically led to the revocation of the licence held by JF Donelon Ltd, on grounds of repute, if the licence had been held by an individual rather than a limited liability company, said North Western Licensing Authority Martin Albu.
The Bolton-based company appeared at a Manchester disciplinary inquiry following a series of overloading convictions. Albu said that a £2,000 fine imposed by the Lancaster magistrates was a level four fine, which under Goods Vehicles (Operators Licences Qualifications and Fees) (Amendment 1990) Regulations meant that an individual automatically lost his repute. However, for some obscure reason that regulation did not apply to companies.
The LA took account of a gross overloading conviction at Stoke in 1991, where there was a £200 fine; a train weight conviction at Macclesfield for which the company was given an abolute discharge; and 10 convictions at Lancaster.
For the company, which holds an eight-vehicle licence, Charles Stansfield said that all weighbridge tickets were now inspected by the transport manager.
Transport manager William Lloyd said he had not realised it was necessary to report the convictions to the LA.