Immediate revocation
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• Bowmers Wholesale, trading as Star Bakery of Ripley, had its five-vehicle licence revoked with immediate effect after North Western Licensing Authority Martin Albu decided it did not ''even begin to meet" the requirements of the licensing system.
Department of Transport vehicle examiner Peter Biggs gave evidence at a Derby public inquiry that prohibition and defect notices were issued to the company's vehicles in February and at the beginning of August. The operating centre was totally inadequate. There was parking space for one vehicle but only by careful manoeuvring to get it off the pavement.
The other vehicles were taken home by their drivers who parked wherever they could, he said.
The two companies said to be maintaining the vehicles denied seeing them for some months. The inspection records were intermittent, and in some cases non-existent.
Director Norman Wathall said he had tried to have the vehicles inspected every three months. Since February the company had employed a part-time fitter. There was not the money in the business to have them inspected every month. The company was seeking new premises with the help of the local council, but there were hold-ups pending discussions with the health people.
Questioned by Albu, Wathall said two vehicles had been scrapped and it was the intention to replace another two. No inspection arrangements had been made because he was awaiting the outcome of the present proceedings. The drivers had been taking vehicles home for 30 years. They needed five vehicles to run the business, and they could not carry on for any length of time if the licence was lost.
Albu said the situation was totally unacceptable. He was not satisfied that Wathall understood what his responsibilities were.