Crown pays Cowie's costs
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• The legal costs of Lancashire haulier Barnes & Tipping and its driver Roger Cowie have been met out of public funds after the Leyland Magistrates aquitted them of charges of using a vehicle without an operator's licence.
Evidence was given by the police that an ERF artic had been stopped at Salmesbury on 12 December, while carrying a large load. The company was not aware of the nature of the load because it was sheeted. No 0-licence disc was being displayed.
When interviewed, a representative of the company said that in May 1986 it had applied for two additional vehicles. The company had waited and waited. When it eventually contacted the North Western Traffic Area they were told that the matter had been overlooked due to pressure of work. The additional vehicles were not in fact granted until 28 January.
Defending, Michael Paterson argued that the prosecution had entirely failed to prove that the goods on the vehicle were being carried for hire or reward. As far as the driver was concerned, there was no such offence as driving a vehicle for hire or reward without an operator's licence.