Geraghty has to wait
Page 18
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• Disciplinary proceedings against John Geraghty trading as J J Geraghty of Bolton have been adjourned because of pending prosecutions for excise licence offences.
Geraghty holds a licence for five vehicles and one trailer. Vehicle examiner Colin Wadilove said that three vehicles stopped in a roadside check in February were given prohibitions, two with immediate effect. Two vehicles had fourteen defects apiece and the third had six. Shortly afterwards a fourth vehicle was given a delayed prohibition for four items. Assurances given by Geraghty at the previous public inquiry that the vehicles would be inspected monthly had not been kept.
Geraghty said he had now entered an agreement with a commercial garage to undertake montly inspections and his own fitters would undertake intermediate weekly checks. The gaps in the inspection records had arisen because the vehicles worked on-site for long periods, but he had now arranged for vehicles to be inspected, irrespective of whether they were working on-site or not.
North Western Deputy Licensing Authority Kenneth Birchall commented that the number of defects gave the impression that Geraghty had been a bit slack on maintenance. Geraghty admitted that his vehicles were not always taxed when they were on site.
Birchall said he understood that prosecutions were being brought in relation to taxation offences and it would be wrong for him to continue with the inquiry until those proceedings had been concluded.