A TRUCK DRIVER WHO DIED WHILE FERRYING VITAL OIL S

A TRUCK DRIVER WHO DIED WHILE FERRYING VITAL OIL SUPPLIES TO

DIDCOT POWER STATION DURING THE MINER’S STRIKE WAS WORKING FOR A

COMPANY DRIVING ILLEGAL HOURS

A COURT HEARD TODAY (MONDAY) THE DRIVER MAY HAVE FALLEN

ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL BEFORE HIS VEHICLE CARREERED OFF THE M4 EN ROUTE

TO THE POWER STATION.

INNER LONDON CROWN COURT WAS TOLD THE GREENWICH COMPANY

ROTAHAUL LTD WAS UNABLE TO KEEP SUPPLIES FLOWING WITHOUT WORKING

EXCESS HOURS.

AND A COMPANY DIRECTOR, CLE, AND TEN DRIVERS WERE FINED

FOR MAKING FALSE RECORDS.

PC ROBERT HAWTHORN SAID POLICE WHO INVESTIGATED THE FATAL

ACCIDENT SUSPECTED HE MAY HAVE FALLEN ASLEEP IN THE CAB AFTER WORKING

LONG HOURS TRANSPORTING FUEL TO KEEP THE POWER STATION RUNNING.

‘THESE INQUIRIES SHOWED THERE WAS A FLEET OF VEHICLES

INVOLVED,’ SAID MR KENNETH MACRAE, PROSECUTING.

AND HE SAID TEN OTHER DRIVERS FROM ROTAHAUL WERE WORKING UP

TO 30 HOURS AT A STRETCH TO GET THE SUPPLIES THROUGH.

AND THE COURT HEARD TACHOMETER CHECKS SHOWED DISCREPANCIES

OF 76,000 KILOMETRES AGAINST WEIGHBRIDGE RECORDS AT DIDCOT.

‘FIFTEEN PERCENT OF THE FLEET MILEAGE WAS UNACCOUNTED FOR,’

MR MACRAE ADDED.

ROTAHAUL DIRECTOR ALBERT STACEY, 40, OF HOLTYRE ROAD,

EDENBRIDGE, KENT, IS SAID TO HAVE TOLD POLICE OFFICERS HIS FIRM COULD

NOT COPE WITH THE DEMAND FOR OIL WITHOUT WORKING EXCESS HOURS.

DRIVERS WERE DELAYED BY PICKETS AND POLICE RE-ROUTING THE

LORRIES TO AVOID DEMONSTRATORS, THE COURT HEARD.

ROTAHAUL WHICH IS BASED AT ORDANANCE WHARF, GREENWICH, WAS

FINED A TOTAL OF #1,600 AFTER THE COMPANY ADMITTED FOUR OFFENCES OF

MAKING A FALSE RECORD, WITH ANOTHER 81 OFFENCES TAKEN INTO

CONSIDERATION.

STACEY WAS FINED #300 AFTER HE ADMITTED FOUR OFFENCES OF

MAKING A FALSE RECORD, AND COMPANY CLERK FRANK RITCHARDS,26, OF

LONGDON ON TUNE, TELFORD, SHROPSHIRE, WAS CONDITIONALLY DISCHARGED

AFTER PLEADING GUILTY TO TWO OFFENCES OF MAKING A FALSE RECORD.

AND TEN OF THE COMPANY LORRY DRIVERS WERE FINED AFTER

PLEADING GUILTY TO A TOTAL OF 25 OFFENCES OF MAKING A FALSE RECORD.

DAVID BLACKLEDGE,39,OF BINGHAM ROAD, FRINSBURY, ROCHESTER,

KENT, WAS FINED #130 FOR THREE OFFENCES, DAVID BOWDEN, 41, OF

BARDFIELD WAY, RAYLEIGH, ESSEX, WAS FINED #10 FOR ONE OFFENCE, AND

MICHAEL BRAUND, 41, OF PARK PLACE, GRAVESEND, WAS FINED #100 FOR TWO

OFFENCES.

JEFFREY GUY, 46, OF NARE ROAD, SOUTH OCKENDEN, ESSEX,

WAS FINED #150 FOR THREE OFFENCES GRAHAM KELLY, 28, OF ELSA ROAD,

WELLNG, KENT WAS FINED #150 FOR THREE OFFENCES, AND JOHN MCMAHAN, 37,

OF PIER STREET, POPLAR, WAS FINED #125 FOR THREE OFFENCES.

RAYMOND NICHOLLS, 48, OF GREEN ROAD, SOUTH BENFLEET, ESSEX,

AND ROBERT PASS, 33, OF MELBOURNE ROAD, DEANE, BOLTON, WERE EACH

FINED #150 FOR THREE OFFENCES.

EDWARD TUNNICLIFFE,52, OF REDPOLE WAY, ERITH, AND EDWARD

BOND, 46, OF WILLOW STREET, BURY, LANCASHIRE, WERE BOTH FINED #100

FOR TWO OFFENCES.

ENDS