1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164 
Adjournment so salvage job can continue
Page 24
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
A LICENCE APPLICATION inquiry involving a father and son has been adjourned, as one of the applicants is involved in the salvage operation of a ferry that ran aground off Blackpool during high winds.
Morecambe, Lanes-based I lancock Contractors, whose sole director was Jamie Hancock, was seeking to increase its licence authority from 10 to 12 vehicles. Jamie's father Stephen, whose previous licence was revoked in March 2001, was seeking a new threevehicle restricted licence. Speaking for the company and Stephen Hancock, Jonathan Backhouse told a Golborne public inquiry that Hancock Contractors was working day and night on the salvage operation. In addition, he commented, a key witness was currently on holiday abroad.
After Backhouse had wondered whether it was fair to call operators to public inquiry just because they were father and son, North-Western Traffic Commissioner Beverley Bell said the burden of proof was on licence applicants, and operators could be a"wily bunch".She needed to know the company's variation application was genuine, and not designed to circumvent any possible refusal of Stephen Hancock's application she might make.
In March 2001 she had held that Stephen Hancock had lost his repute for five years. In view of his history Stephen Hancock had "a number of hurdles" to get over before she could grant him a licence.
In adjourning the hearing, the TC said there were no road safety issues as far as she was aware.