A West Country brewer has had its 0-licence revoked after
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a check of its tachograph records following an accident showed drivers had regularly breached the drivers' hours rules.
The Cottage Brewing Company, based in West Lydford, Somerset, appeared before Western Traffic Commissioner Philip Brown at a Bristol disciplinary inquiry Constable Melvyn Small of the Avon & Somerset Police said that following an accident at a garage forecourt in Sheffield involving one of the company's vehicles, the tachograph chart produced by the driver, Nicholas Kite, showed he had failed to take the required breaks after 4.5 hours' driving.
At the request of South Yorkshire Police Small had examined the charts of six drivers for March and early April. Kite had committed 35 offences, and the six drivers, including former distribution manager Ian Pittman, were found to have committed a total of 62 offences. One chart had been torn into four pieces.
'Kite committed every type
of drivers' hours offence he could have in the period," said Small. "He said a lot of offences were committed because of pressure put on him to make deliveries."
Seven drivers, including Pitman, were prosecuted, and the company faced three specimen charges of permitting drivers' hours offences.
Director Christopher Norman said all drivers were sent a briefing memo which included details of the tachograph legislation. Any drivers who did not comply were warned about their conduct, and some had been dismissed.
For the company, Fred Randall told the TC that it had been guilty of total naivete and misplaced trust.