Licence lost for red diesel
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le The misuse of rebated fuels has led to the revoca tion of the 0-licence held by a Nottinghamshire haulier.
Robert Tompkins, trading as Tompkins Transport, of Retford, appeared before North Eastern Traffic Commissioner Keith Waterworth at a Leeds disciplinary inquiry He held an international licence for four vehicles.
Customs officer Richard Holler said Tompkins' four vehicles plus a van were tested and found to contain rebated fuel, and the first vehicle, which was tested during a multi-agency check, was seized. Investigations showed that rebated fuel had been used from the beginning of June 1997 until 7 April 1998.
As a result Tompkins had paid a compounded out-of-court penalty of £17,072. In 1991 he had paid a similar out-of-court penalty of £18,406 after the misuse of red diesel was detected.
Tompkins initially alleged that he had purchased large quantities of kerosene for heating purposes, and that he had also supplied kerosene to other hauliers, but was unable to produce any records to substantiate his claim, said Horier. Tompkins eventually admitted using kerosene as mad fuel, saying that it had been mainly on the Continent.
Though he admitted using some kerosene, Tompkins said a lot of it had gone to other sources.
He said that if he had used that amount of kerosene the engines would not last long, to which Horler replied that they were taking about a mixture of dery and kerosene.
Holding that Tompkins was unfit to hold a licence, Waterworth said there had been two major instances of the deliberate use of illegal fuel, which struck at the very basis on which licences were issued.