Booze run proves terminal for Uxbridge haulier

An Uxbridge-based haulier who fabricated a story to hide his role in carrying over 40,000 litres of alcohol without the correct paperwork has had his O-licence revoked and been banned from operating vehicles for two years.

At an Eastbourne public inquiry, London and South East traffic commissioner (TC) Nick Denton (pictured) was told Declan Dillon had:

. had two vehicles seized by HMRC in May and July 2013 for transporting alcohol without the necessary paperwork;
. been convicted for drink driving in January 2014 and disqualified from driving without notifying the TC;
. had vehicles and trailers prohibited for mechanical defects;
. had no preventative maintenance regime in place;
. had moved his vehicles to a site which had not been authorised.

At the hearing, where the TC also considered a request for extra vehicles and a new site in Uxbridge, Dillon said his vehicles had been on hire to G Rogers Plant Hire in Birkenhead at the time they were seized by HMRC.

However, Dillon had no contact address for this business - only a mobile phone number - and could not explain why there was no evidence on the internet or in trade directories of the existence of G Rogers Plant Hire.

Neither could he produce any written agreement between the two firms, though he did present invoices for the hired vehicles.
The TC asked Dillon for more evidence, including documents to prove the hire payments for the vehicles had been made by G Rogers Plant Hire.

TC Denton received a document purporting to be a bank statement which showed the payments. However the document had in fact been produced by Dillon. When the actual bank statements were later provided, none of the monies deposited appeared to coincide with the amounts on the invoices.

TC Denton also disqualified Dillon’s former transport manager, Darren Annett, immediately and for an indefinite period.