Pugh rages at tax timewaster
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• West Midlands Licensing Authority John Mervyn Pugh angrily adjourned last week's hearing into the renewal of Central Roadway's 0-licence when company secretary George Atterbury was unable to give details about the tax position of the company's vehicles which have been consistently prosecuted for running on the roads without excise discs for the past 12 months.
Pugh told the company it would lose its licence if it was not better prepared at the next hearing in May, not just because its repute was seriously in doubt with a major Road Haulage Association objection hanging round its neck, but also because Atterbury was deliberately wasting people's time, and the LA would not tolerate such behaviour.
The company had applied to renew its licence for 15 vehicles and 12 trailers — an increase of five vehicles and seven trailers over its previous licence. Mervyn Pugh was prepared to allow the licence to continue only until May in respect of the existing authorisation.
Questioned by the LA, Atterbury agreed that in 1987 the company had been convicted at Macclesfield of using a vehicle without an excise licence, being fined 275 with .228 back duty; of a similar offence at Accrington, being fined 260; of a similar offence at Witney, being fined 21,500 with 2204.16 back duty; and in July of a similar offence at Dudley, being fined 2600 with 2258.33 back duty plus 230 costs.
Asked about proceedings at Horseferry Magistrates in central London the day before, Atterbury said the company had again been convicted and fined 2600 with one month's back duty.
After questioning Atterbury about the current tax situation concerning each of the comp.any's fleet of vehicles, Mervyn Pugh said it was clear that he did not have a clue.