Watson licence bid fail
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• Watson's Travel has been refused a licence by North Eastern Traffic Commissioner Frederick Whalley because he was not satisfied that the standard of control of the company was any better than its predecessor, Watson's Tours.
The company, which has been operating under the authority of the Watson's Tours licence with the Commissioner's permission, had applied for a new international licence for 25 vehicles.
Director Richard Hayter, who is based in the Isle of Wight, said that he was invited to join Watson's Tours towards the end of 1985 and put £50,000 into the company to prevent a receiver being appointed by the bank. He subsequently had to inject a further £20,000. As time passed he and the other director did not see eye to eye and it was agreed that they should part company.
Watson's Tours came under considerable pressure from its bankers. Hayter was eventually able to arrange a loan with his mainstream bankers, but only on the basis that the loan was to Watson's Travel and not Watson's Tours.
As a result, Watson's Tours ceased trading on 31 Octob 1987. Most of its creditors were happy to take deferre payments, but one creditor sought a winding up order the company was wound uc 24 February 1988.
Hayter said that the tran: port manager, Brian Wade, was about to leave the corn pany. He would be replace( a Mr Worrall, the CPC hok of another of his company's Kings Tours, Isle of Wight. Worrall would remain as trz port manager until another ployee of Watson's Travel obtained a CPC.
Asked why Watson's Travel's premises were ath tised for sale, Hayter said t his previous co-director had bought an adjacent piece of land which could lead to an tolerable situation.
Asked why he had told tt Commissioner's office that Watson's Tours was still op ating in December, Wade s that the first he knew that i had ceased trading was whE the premises had been visit by a representative of the c cial receiver in March.
Hayter said that confusioi had arisen due to a lack of communication between hin and Wade. He denied that lhad lost control of Watson's Tours.
After hearing financial evi dence in private, Whalley S2 that he was not at all satisfi with the information produc, The arrangements for enstu proper control of the busine of Watson's Tours had been totally inadequate.