Licences granted despite taxation arrears
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I At one point in its recent history a :ompany had operated at least four of its lye vehicles without excise duty having teen paid. It had been convicted of tax :vasion offences whilst further prosecutions vere still being considered. The running of he fifth vehicle was still being investigated lut this had been hampered by a file being -fislaid at the taxation office.
But this was not in itself evidence of nancial instability; neither did it necessarily lean that the directors of the company 'ere not fit persons to hold an operator's cence, said Mr H. E. Robson, Eastern krea LA, last week, when granting a new cence for five vehicles and five trailers to helton Hurst Shipping Ltd, Brightlingsea. The court was told by Mr Henry :asebourne, traffic 'examiner, that the tax ffences related to the activities of another ompany, Euro King International Ltd, thich was now to be wound up and whose irectors were substantially the same as helton Hurst International. It was intended at Shelton Hurst would carry on the usiness of Euro King.
Admitting the offences, Mr Kingsly Beer, !,rtior director in both companies, also greed that Euro King had attracted several lV9s in the past 18 months. Referring to le tax offences, Mr Beer said that his• :hides were employed on Continental atrneys; their documents had to :company them and since the vehicles len returned to the UK at weekends when e taxation office was closed he had lipped into an arrears situation".
Summing up, Mr Robson said that he as satisfied that there had been neglect in
the maintenance of the Euro King fleet but felt that new procedures as outlined by Mr R. Cropper, representing Mr Beer, would prevent a recurrence. He was also satisfied that the financial position of Shelton Hurst was satisfactory following the injection of fresh capital by two of Mr Beer's brothers who were to join him in the company. He would allow five vehicles and five trailers against the seven applied for and granted a licence for two years. In the case of Euro King he would delete two vehicles under Section 69.