Overseas hours charges
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• Ten drivers have been charged under the little-used Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981 in a clamp-down by Sussex police on alleged drivers' hours offences committed abroad.
The drivers, who Chichester police claim have been employed by Portsmouth-based PJK European Transport, have been charged and bailed.
The police say enquiries are continuing into the activities of other drivers employed by the company.
The 10 have been jointly charged with forgery, conspiracy and false tachograph records over sample offences allegedly committed under the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981, the Criminal Law Act 1977 and the 1968 Transport Act.
It is expected that the case will be heard at Crown Court. If found guilty the drivers could face heavy fines or imprisonment.The Forgery and Counterfeiting Act, which has so far been hardly used by the enforcement authorities in this type of case, allows easier prosecution for tachograph offences committed in other EC countries.
A test case expected to be heard soon at London's Criminal Appeal Court will clarify how easily UK police can prosecute drivers for offences committed abroad.