Traffic commissioner bans Walsall haulage firm directors for four years

The directors of a Walsall haulage firm have been disqualified from the industry for four years by the region's Traffic Commissioner.

Daniel Freeman and Imran Shareef will not be able to operate HGVs or hold an operator's licence following a decision by industry regulator, Nick Jones.

Their company, Innovate Logistics Ltd, also lost its licence to run vehicles earlier this month.

In a written decision issued after a public inquiry, Jones said: "An encounter on 04 May 2016 resulted in a vehicle operated by this operator being seized as a result of several significant failings, including: using red diesel; carrying alcohol without the correct paperwork, an S marked prohibition, an MOT that was two years out of date; and, a trailer that had an MOT nearly four years out of date." 

The Traffic Commissioner also expressed concern about whether Freeman's father was involved in the business. Dennis Freeman held an operator's licence in his own name until it was revoked in 2012, when he received a two year prison sentence for smuggling cigarettes.

Jones concluded that Daniel Freeman and Imran Shareef had sought to mislead staff at his office and the Traffic Commissioner. He added that the deception had been planned by Mr Freeman from the start.