IN THE NEWS BEDFORD PHV DRIVER FUMING AT COUNCIL FOR BAN OVER PHOTOGRAPH
A private hire driver has had his licence suspended by the council for taking a photo while driving, despite the fact he was not called before the licensing commit- tee for that offence. The former vice chair- man of the Bedford Private Hire Associa- tion was banned for four weeks after he appeared in front of the committee last month. He told the Bedford News: “The member of the public alleged that I swore at him and was driving aggres- sively.
Then he
followed me around and took a picture of me while we were waiting at traffic lights. He was behind me at the traffic lights and I took a photo too because I felt I was
being followed. “I was called in front of the licensing commit- tee but I wasn’t there for the photo; I was there for the other offences. I explained to them the police want us to be their eyes and ears on the road. So if I take a pic- ture for the police I asked if they would prosecute me then. “My trade is fuming, they think it’s a joke and it’s ridiculous. I wasn’t called in for that reason, the com- plaint has nothing to do with me taking a picture.” The driver is now awaiting a letter from the council regarding the start of his ban. A Bedford Borough Council spokesman said: “The council does not comment on
specific allegations against
licensees.
Parliament has made councils the licensing authorities for taxi and private hire drivers and places a high standard on those licensees to provide safe transport for chil- dren and adults. “The council regards the use of mobile tele- phones by licensed drivers as highly dan- gerous. As such if there is clear evidence of use of a hand held mobile
telephone
while driving by a licensed driver the council will actively consider suspending the driver licence. “Clearly, it would be ludicrous if the council were to ignore evi- dence relating to an offence when this evi- dence exists.”
COURT MAY SEIZE ASSETS OF PLYMOUTH DRUGS GANG TAXI PAIR
A taxi boss and his son may have their assets seized after they helped a £1 mil- lion drugs gang hide their profits. As reported 18 months ago in PHTM, Leslie Palmer and his son Jonathan were part of a gang which flooded Plymouth and the South West with drugs including
cocaine,
amphetamines and ecstasy brought into the area by couriers from Manchester. They ran the Silverline taxi firm in Plymouth and helped move money around for the gang, which was led by infamous drug dealer Blake Donellan, who was jailed for 15 years in 2011. According to the Ply- mouth Herald, the pair now face a five-day
hearing at Exeter Crown Court in which assets including more than £1 million worth of property and a trust fund in the Isle of Man could be seized. Leslie,
68, and
Jonathan, 24 both from Plymouth, were jailed for three and eight years respectively at Plymouth Crown Court on December 23, 2011. Jonathan
found by police in Jonathan Palmer’s car after it was stopped close to a known drugs den. His father went to the police
station to admitted
money laundering and his father was found guilty by a jury and is still trying to appeal the verdict, Exeter Crown Court was told. Judge Francis Gilbert, QC, adjourned the case for a contested hearing under the Pro- ceeds of Crime Act later this year. During the original case the jury heard how £20,000 cash was
demand the money back, signing a declara- tion that it was the float for his taxi business. Detectives noted the serial numbers of the notes and within days a courier was intercepted at Exeter Service Sta- tion taking £37,500 cash to Manchester. An examination show- ed that banknotes, amounting to almost £5,000 of the cash, came from the money police had returned to Leslie Palmer. Palmer has since changed his defence team for the appeal and confiscation hear- ing.
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taxifleet@bluedropservices.co.uk PAGE 6 PHTM JULY 2013
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