Old Licence Covers May Not be Used
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IT is art offence to transfer driving' licence slips from an economy-type brown-paper cover to tb,e former kind. with hard backs. This was stated by Wolverhampton magistrate last week. giving judgment in the case in which Alec Freeman Bill, 39 Tettenhall Road. Wolverhampton, pleaded not guilty to being in possession of a document closely resembling a driving licence with intent to deceive.
" Driving licences are important documents which must not be tampered with in any way by any member of the public," the magistrate said. " A licence is valid so long as it remains in the prescribed form issued by the licensing authority.
Bill was stated to have transferred his previous licence slips to a hard-backed red cover. The effect, claimed the prosecution, was that it appeared that he had held diving licences since 1938 completely free from endorsement, whereas he had an endorsement in 1952.
The defendant contended that he had transfcrrad the slips for convenience and because the thin paper cover was of inferior quality.
The magistrate said that the case was serious and the penalty could be four months' imprisonment or a fine of £100, or both. "To detach one slip and put it in another cover is an impertinent thing to do, and l think the defendant acted very foolishly," said the magistrate. He had, however, an element of doubt in his mind that there was an intent to deceive, and therefore dismissed the case.