Wincanton discs, expired card and 706 missing days: roadside stop costs operator its licence

A single roadside stop has brought down a small UK operator after enforcement officers found a string of problems with one of its lorries — including two operator licence discs belonging to Wincanton Group, an expired driver card and a tachograph unit that had not been downloaded for 706 days.

The case concerns Lixor Sales & Marketing Ltd, which held a restricted goods vehicle operator’s licence authorising two vehicles and two trailers. The licence was originally issued in June 2023.

However, following a public inquiry, the Deputy Traffic Commissioner for the West of England revoked the licence with effect from 12 noon on 26 June 2026.

Wrong discs, expired card and brake defects

The case began with a roadside encounter on 5 June 2025 involving vehicle FD63 ELJ, driven by George Watson Laird.

During the stop, officers found that the vehicle was displaying two standard international operator licence discs issued to Wincanton Group. Lixor’s own operator disc was not displayed.

That was only the start of the problems.

According to the Traffic Commissioner’s decision, the vehicle excise had expired, the driver’s card had expired, the tachograph calibration was overdue, and the vehicle unit had not been downloaded for 706 days.

DVSA also found defects with the ABS system, a leaking brake pipe and a nearside front indicator. The defects led to an immediate S-marked prohibition, meaning the examiner considered the failings to indicate a significant breakdown in the operator’s maintenance systems.

There was another curious detail too: the driver initially appeared unsure who he was driving for, saying at first that he was driving for Atlantis Building Supplies.

DVSA investigation found wider failings

The roadside stop triggered a DVSA maintenance investigation the following month. That investigation was rated unsatisfactory.

The shortcomings identified covered inspection and maintenance records, driver defect reporting, maintenance arrangements, AdBlue and mileage checks, wheel and tyre management, load security and the S-marked prohibition.

A later DVSA traffic examiner visit also found problems with driver licensing, driver training, drivers’ hours and record keeping, working time rules and vehicle monitoring systems.

The operator’s responses to DVSA were described as late and incomplete. According to the decision, several requested items were missing, while the only maintenance contract provided was in the name of Atlantis Building Supplies.

The Traffic Commissioner also raised concerns about the company’s finances, noting late accounts and a previous compulsory strike-off process. By the time of the public inquiry, no financial evidence had been received from the operator.

Operator blamed ‘oversights’

At the public inquiry, sole director Avtar Singh Hargun, known as Avtar Singh, accepted a number of shortcomings. He said the Wincanton licence discs had been left in the second-hand vehicle by mistake and that the correct disc was in the vehicle. He also described the unpaid vehicle excise as an administrative oversight.

However, the Deputy Traffic Commissioner found that the operator had been running a non-compliant operation and had allowed failings to continue to the point where safety was affected.

The decision said Mr Singh had insufficient knowledge of operator licensing requirements and had failed to put most of the required systems in place. Even by the time of the inquiry, the Commissioner found that his knowledge still showed “concerning gaps”, while evidence to support assurances of improvement was largely missing.

Driver’s LGV entitlement suspended

The driver, George Watson Laird, also appeared at a driver conduct hearing. He told the Commissioner he had been driving since 1983 and accepted wrongdoing in relation to the incident. He said he had carried out a walkaround check, but admitted it could not have been satisfactory because he had missed the indicator defect.

He also admitted he was aware of problems with the braking system and was on his way to have them repaired. The Commissioner asked how he thought it was safe to drive when the braking system was not maintaining pressure.

The decision found Mr Laird to be open and honest. His substantive LGV entitlement was suspended for four weeks from 8 May 2026.

Licence revoked

For Lixor Sales & Marketing, the outcome was more severe. The Deputy Traffic Commissioner concluded that the operator had breached licence conditions, failed to honour undertakings, failed to keep vehicles fit and serviceable, failed to observe drivers’ hours and tachograph rules, and failed to keep proper records.

The decision also found that the operator could no longer be considered fit to hold the licence and that there was insufficient evidence of financial resources. The restricted goods vehicle operator’s licence was therefore revoked.