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Fruit & veg van dangerously overloaded
Page 40
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A 3.5-TONNE fruit and vegetable van was so dangerously overloaded that more than 150 sacks and boxes of produce had lobe removed when it was taken to a weighbridge.
Its operator, Paul Martin, trading as Allfresh of Fleetwood, has been ordered to pay lines and costs totalling £2,648 by Leyland magistrates. He was found guilty in his absence of exceeding the permitted first axle weight by 58% ,the permitted second axle weight by 66% and the permitted gross weight by 105%. He has four previous convictions for overloading. Prosecuting for Vosa,John Heaton said the vehicle had been stopped in a check at Cuerden. The traffic examiner noted that the suspension appeared to be very low, the body was closer to the road surface than normal and the tyres were overly compressed.
After weighing the vehicle the examiner concluded that the overload meant it was in a dangerous condition, with the suspension, steering, brakes and tyres all subject to excessive forces.
Martin had said there had been nowhere to weigh the vehicle. He had admitted it was "a bit over" but had claimed it did not feel dangerous as it didn't feel heavy,the brakes worked and it handled perfectly.
Martin unloaded the excess at the weighbridge site, leaving behind 50 sacks of potatoes, 10 sacks of onions,16 boxes of bananas, 76 boxes of tomatoes,and quantities of mushrooms, courgettes, beans, melons, cabbage. lettuce and soft fruits.
The magistrates fined Martin the maximum £2,500 for the gross overload with £148 costs, but they decided against imposing a separate penalty for the other offences.