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At Ipswich Magistrates’ Court yesterday (March 11), Peter Baker of 11 Windmill Hill, Capel St Mary was found guilty of running a private hire vehicle service under the name “Bentley Chauffeurs” without an operator’s licence. Baker failed to attend court and the case was found proved in his absence by District Judge David Cooper.
An investigation led by Babergh District Council’s Environmental Protection team over four months uncovered a business arrangement that Mr Baker had with an unwitting Felixstowe company to regularly use the services of Bentley Chauffeurs to convey its clients and employees.
One such booking on June 18 2008 was intercepted in a joint operation involving Babergh District Council and the Police. The Court was told that Baker was not authorised to act as a private hire operator as he had no licence and that the driver and vehicle arranged by Baker were also unlicensed.
Peter Baker was fined £750 and ordered to pay £420 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.
The driver of the car, Gary Mills of Connaught Road, Clacton on Sea, pleaded guilty to charges of being unlicensed as a private hire driver and having no private hire licence for the vehicle. Mills was given a conditional discharge and ordered to pay £100 costs.
At the time of the offence Baker was advertising under a number of trading names including Bentley Chauffeurs, E.T.S and A.T.S. of 11 Windmill Hill, Capel St Mary.
James Buckingham, Principal Environmental Protection Officer with Babergh District Council, said “there are public safety issues associated with unlicensed taxi operations. The Council is responsible for regulating Hackney Carriages and private hire vehicles. In cases such as this, all the safety measures we have in place are bypassed and the Council is unable to check that vehicles are safe and drivers are suitable or that the proper insurance is in place”.
“This Council will seek to prosecute any individual who flouts the law by operating without the appropriate licences. I would also urge businesses to make sure they are engaging taxi services that are properly licensed by the Council. These can be found on Babergh’s website at www.babergh.gov.uk”.
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