Not weighed but found wanting
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• A Durham court on Monday sympathized with 20 haulage contractors charged with overloading their lorries. The bench at 2-onsett agreed with the hauliers that the NEB should have provided a weighbridge Ind said the DoE should demand one.
The hauliers faced a total of 55 charges A* exceeding the gross weight shown on the 'Wing certificate and on the manufacturers' )late.
The NCB, of Ashfield Towers, Kenton load, Gosforth, was charged with 55 cases if aiding and abetting.
The cases against all but two of the ;ontractors were adjourned until July 27 at he request of Mr Alan L. Vickers, prosecutng on behalf of the Department of the -T.nvironment.
He told the court that the solicitor iefending the bulk of the defendants Wanted us cases heard at the same time as those tgainst the NCB.
And the NCB told Mr Vickers that it was 'physically impossible" for him to complete us defence in time for Monday's hearing.
But the cases concerning Mr Arthur 3age, of Medomsley Road, Consett, and Mr daurice Whitworth, of North Road, Spen
nymoor, went ahead. Both pleaded guilty to two charges of exceeding the gross weight shown on the manufacturers' plate.
Mr Vickers said the hauliers were carrying for the NCB from its Stanley Hill open-cast site to Swalwell. The only weighbridge was at the end of the journey.
One of Mr Page's lorries was overloaded by 2 tons 5cwt on one trip and 1 ton 11cwt on another, both on March 20.
In his statement Mr Page said: "We have worked for the NCB for approximately six days and the drivers were inexperienced. This resulted in unwanted overloading. The drivers relied on the experience of the loaders but this proved to be no good. There should be a weighbridge on the site."
Mr Vickers said: "We agree. This would be to everyone's benefit. The haulage contractors have been pressing for a weighbridge for some time. This man is not entirely to blame."
Mr Alan Tucker, defending, said: "The trouble is that all representations to the NCB for a weighbridge have been unsuccessful. They will have to press further."
The magistrate said that since the loads were not weighed until they reached their destination the loaders were obviously filling the lorries "according to their size".
Mr Whitworth told the court that the coal varied in weight from seam to seam and he had told his drivers to underload. Overloading only increased his wear and tear: "It would solve the problem if there was a weighbridge," he stressed.
The magistrate said: "The court sympathizes with your situation but it is up to the DoE to get the weighbridge put in."
Both men were fined £5 on each charge.