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A family affair
Page 26
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A Depu-y IC is considering action over drivers'
hours at a Liverpool firm. Michael Jewell reports.
Apublic inquiry has reconvened as it tries to unravel the "hopelessly complicated' business affairs of firms connected to the Thorburn family.
This might lead North-Western Deputy TC Mark Hinchliffe to take action against the licence held by Liverpool-based Crown Cold Stores & Distribution.
The company was called before the DTC because of concerns over vehicle maintenance and drivers' hours and tachograph offences, including the falsification of tachograph records. The DTC, who was also considering the repute of the company's transport manager. Wallace Thorburn, indicated that he did not consider the maintenance problems would result in serious action against the licence (CM 12 January).
The inquiry had previously adjourned to allow the DTC to untangle the web of company ownership and directorships that were central to the case (see panel).
Karen Thorburn -Jones, a director of Crown Cold Stores & Distribution, said she and her sister Jeanette each held one share while her father, Wallace, held 98.
She said she had never been a director of Thorburn International Transport Ltd or P&K Transport. and had only been company secretary of P&K Transport Ltd, which had been wound up while still solvent. However, when the DTC pointed out that Companies House records showed she had been a director of P&K Transport Ltd she .explained that she had not been a director of P&KTransport (UK).
P&K Transport was initially formed by Karen Thorburn-Jones and PhilipCamack asapartnership. That firm later became P&K Transport Ltd, but after that company was wound up P&K Transport (UK) Ltd was formed — it closed in December 2004.
Thorburn-Jones also showed some confusion over her role at Crown Cold Stores Ltd, where she claimed she had only been a company secretary. The DTC pointed out that she had in fact been a director since 1995 — and after her father and sister resigned she had been the only director.
In relation to Crown Cold Stores and Distribution she admitted knowing of her father and sister's disqualification but claimed she had not realised that this should have been disclosed to the Traffic Area Office.
Asked who she thought was the boss, she replied:"My dad." Wallace Thorburn also played down his position at a number of the companies. During a 2000 public inquiry he had agreed that he was the MD of Crown Cold Stores. He told the DTC this had just been "a figure of speech" as he felt the buck stopped with him.
He admitted that at the time he had not told its solicitor that he was disqualified.
He also claimed that he would not have represented himself as MD at the 2003 public inquiry, but the DTC pointed out that Thorburn had told DTC Patrick M ulvenna that he was a director of Crown Cold Stores.Transport consultant Grahame Robinson said there had been a marked improvement in the hours and tachograph situation since June 2004, although the current 20% infringement rate was still not acceptable.
Thorburn-Jones said the tachograph analysis bureau had been changed and drivers had been given a memo outlining their responsibilities. A number of the convicted drivers were no longer with the company and new financial arrangements were in place, including a £54,000 overdraft.
Graham Quigley, appearing for the company, said the disqualifications had been due to money owed to the Crown rather than because of personal gain or dishonesty. He asked the DTC to take account of the relative lack of sophistication of the people involved; a series of companies and licences had become hopelessly complicated. •