Police Should Tell Authority When Lorries are Used for Stolen Goods
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WHEN a .lorry has been used to carry stolen goods, the police should send details of the vehicle to the Licensing Authority. This was suggested by Mr. J. A. T. Hanlon, Northern Licensing Authority, at Penrith
last week. He backed this proposal with practical action when he revoked the C licence of a man who is at present serving a 12-month prison sentence for his part in a £2,752 warehouse robbery.
The man, Frank Mitchell, Melbourne Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, was brought from prison to show cause why his licence should not be revoked or suspended. It was stated that the case might be the first of its kind in the country.
The case came to light, said Mr. Hanlon, when he read of the matter in a newspaper. The police had never taken the point regarding A or B licences in cases where a vehicle had been used to carry stolen goods, he added. The police had never objected to the issuing of licences—but it might be that they would do so in future, he commented.
Mitchell was not represented, but Mr. T. H. Campbell Wardlaw agreed to raise questions of law on his behalf.
Det. Constable Dodds, Newcastle, told the Authority that Mitchell had been seen by a policeman loading clothing on to his lorry outside the warehouse on the day of the robbery.
The following day the same policeman saw Mitchell when he was reporting the theft of his lorry, but later Mitchell admitted that he was concerned in the .warehouse robbery, and pleaded guilty at the quarter sessions.
The detective agreed that without the lorry there would have been great difficulty in transporting such a quantity of material.
Mr. Wardlaw submitted that the only condition on the licence which would give rise to revocation was that which said that the vehicle could not be used for hire or reward. He submitted that the vehicle was not being used for reward, but for the carriage of goods and that the reward went to other people.
Mr. Hanlon then read a letter which stated that Mitchell had sold his lorry, but that he intended to carry on business when he was released from gaol. Mr. Wardlaw stated. that Mitchell proposed to appeal to the Transport Tribunal.
The conditions on Mitchell's licence were that the vehicle should not be used for hire or reward, and it was on this point that he had called the inquiry, said Mr. Hanlon. But, he added, he
had to be satisfied that the breach had been committed wilfully.
He had concluded that, by using the vehicle as he did, Mitchell was carrying goods for reward. He was satisfied that he should take action, and proposed to revoke the licence.
He had dealt with the question in that manner because if he were wrong on a matter of law the Transport Tribunal would have an opportunity of studying the matter before Mitchell required a vehicle again for his business, concluded Mr. Hanlon.
AUSTIN SHOW AT CROYDON
ALARGE ,,how of Austin commercial vehicles is to be held by L. F. Dove (C.V.), Ltd., 96-98 Lower Addiscombe Road, Croydon, Surrey, during the week commencing May 9, Admission will be by invitation.
The company state that they will show the new Austin 7 5-cwt. van, a type already announced by Sir Leonard Lord, chairman of the B.M.C.