Tarmac drivers cases start
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The first 12 of 38 tipper drivers and owner-drivers working out of the Tarmac quarry at Clitheroe have appeared before the Blackburn magistrates accused of falsifying tachograph records.
In all but two cases the charges were amended from knowingly making a false chart to failing to keep a complete record— the 12 were ordered to pay fines and costs totalling 23,660.
The prosecutions followed the Vehicle Inspectorate's Operation Flintstone in the summer of 1998.
The offences were discovered when tacho charts were compared with weighbridge records obtained from Tarmac.
Prosecuting, John Heaton said that in most of the cases the defendants had not inserted charts into their tachographs until they had left the quarry and gone onto the public road. Unless drivers kept records of all the work done, the records began to lose their value, he said.
Owner-driver Brian Dewhurst of Clitheroe admitted nine offences of falsification. Heaton said Dewhurst had interfered with his tachograph so that it recorded that the vehicle was at rest when in fact it was in motion.
The legislation depended upon drivers being trusted to keep accurate records, he added, and it was often very difficult to spot false records. Dewhurst was fined 2540 with 2.100 costs.
Owner-driver John Parker of Skipton admitted one offence of falsification: Heaton said 9km was unrecorded between consecutive tachograph charts. Parker had reached the maximum 15 hours spreadover and the prosecution alleged that he drove home without a chart in his tachograph.
Parker denied this, He could not account for the missing distance but suggested that he might not have closed the tachograph head properly. He was fined 2200 with 275 costs.
The other defendants told the magistrates that they had not realised they had to keep a record before they got onto the public road.
Richard Welch, of Settle, was fined 2200 with 275 costs for four offences of failing to keep a complete record. Mark Hunter, of Clitheroe, was fined 2200 with 275 costs for three such offences and one of taking insufficient daily rest.
Robert Mayoh, of Clitheroe, was fined 2140 with 275 costs for one offence of failing to keep a record. Michael Fitzpatrick, of Accrington, was fined 2290 with 275 costs for four such offences.
David Parsons, of Nelson, was fined 2470 with 2100 costs for four similar offences, one of driving for more than 4.5 hours without the required break, one daily rest offence and two of failing to produce tachograph records, Peter Grant, of Clitheroe, was fined 2140 with 275 costs for one offence of failing to keep a record. Tony Chadwick, of Accrington, was fined 2100 for four such offences. Keith Marshall, of Clitheroe, was fined 2260 with 275 costs for three such offences.
Ian Dixon, of Baxeniden, was fined 2160 with 175 costs for two such offences. David Burnside, of Coln, was fined 2160 for one such offence and one daily rest offence.