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Formal warning for PM

17th March 1994, Page 16
17th March 1994
Page 16
Page 16, 17th March 1994 — Formal warning for PM
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

• No action has been taken against the licence held by Cumbrian hauliers Joan and Peter Newton following vehicle excise duty offences, despite a previous warning. The Newtons, who trade as P&J Transport, of Millom, appeared at a Manchester disciplinary inquiry before North Western LA Martin Albu.

The LA said that when the partners appeared before him in April 1993 he pointed out that they had to pay their road tax on time.

Since then there had been a number of convictions for excise duty offences.

Peter Newton said a conviction for using a vehicle at the wrong rate of duty related to a vehicle he had just bought and the excise licence was already on the vehicle. He had not checked the

licence before putting the vehicle on the road. When he was stopped by the police, and it was pointed out that the wrong rate of duty had been paid, he paid the additional amount of duty from the time he had acquired the vehicle.

Another conviction related to a vehicle on hire. He had not received the documents for the vehicle to enable him to licence it on time; when he did receive the documents he taxed the vehicle, The back duty was not his responsibility as he had only just hired the vehicle.

Newton said: "I have never been done by any other police officer. It is always the same one; the local police refuse to help him as they are also sick of it. I have been stopped on eight occasions and let off after explaining the situation, but this one police officer has to have me in court it is a witch hunt. I am not trying to break the law."

Albu pointed out that the firm has also been prosecuted for the unauthorised use of the vehicle and for exceeding the permitted overall width.

The 0-licence had been applied for and granted, but they had not received the discs at the time, said Newton. That was why

one was not being displayed in the window of the vehicle. It was alright for some other operators in the area to work without an 0licence, he claimed, but not for him. Albu replied that if Newton reported the names of these operators to him, action would be taken.

Asked about cheques that had not cleared, Newton said that his bank had scrapped his overdraft facility and cheques had crossed while in the post. The DVLA did not re-present cheques, just sent them back.

After examining the firm's accounts Albu said that there did not seem to be any problems with them. Issuing a formal warning, he said he did not consider the convictions were sufficient to find the firm no longer of good repute.

But Albu advised Newton: "If you buy vehicles, make sure you have the right papers at the same time."

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Locations: Manchester

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