Absentee loses licence
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• A Cumbrian hay and straw merchant lost his licence when he failed to appear at a Manchester disciplinary inquiry.
George Beattie, of Penrith, had been called before North Western Deputy Traffic Commissioner Patrick Mulvenna because of concern over his maintenance arrangements. He held a licence for three vehicles and one trailer.
DOT vehicle examiner Christopher Phair said that in October he examined one vehicle and one trailer, imposing immediate prohibition notices on both. He added that no safety records could be produced since March 1996, despite assurances given at that time.
A vehicle was given an immediate prohibition during its annual test in July 1994, said Phair, and a trailer given a prohi
bition for poor brake performance in August 1995 had to be presented three times before a satisfactory brake performance could be achieved.
Phair told the Deputy TC that he had mainly had dealings with Beattie's daughter, Joanne Connolly. She had told him that she thought her father was giving up the business and she would be applying for a licence to take it over.
Mulvenna said there were no doubt grounds for taking disciplinary action. Also, in the absence of financial information requested from Beattie, he could not be satisfied that there was adequate finance.
in all the circumstances, and in view of the fact that Beattie had been given a chance at an inchambers interview last March, he could come to no other decision than to revoke the licence forthwith,