Disqualified haulage director with 'history of non-compliance' has licence application rejected

A disqualified director who applied to operate three HGVs and failed to disclose he had held previous licences that were subsequently revoked has been refused a new licence.

Vincent Larkin, trading as Solid Construction Services, was disqualified from being a director for six years in 2022 after the Insolvency Service found he had failed to pay £209,000 in taxes prior to the liquidation of V. Larkin and the money due had been diverted elsewhere.

Undeterred, he applied to run three lorries as a sole trader, but did not mention in his application that he had been disqualified, that licences he previously held were revoked and that he had also been refused licences in the past.

The latest application was going to be refused, but the operator requested a public inquiry before deputy TC John Baker.

Baker asked him why he had completed the application form saying that he had not held any licences before and had never been disqualified and the operator said he had interpreted the questions wrongly, “as he did not think applying in his own name meant he needed to disclose previous licences or issues in relation to limited companies”.

Larkin also said a lot had changed in his life since he was disqualified from holding an O-licence until 2021.

He explained that he had attended an operator licence awareness training course and he had a transport manager ready to help him if the licence was granted, even though it was a restricted licence he had applied for.

But in his written decision, DTC Baker remained unconvinced that Larkin was fit to hold a licence: “There can be no argument that Mr Larkin has a bad record in relation to operator licensing,” he said.

“His history of non-compliance and regulatory action being taken culminated in the order for revocation and two year disqualification made by me on 3 December 2018. As I explained to Mr Larkin at the current inquiry, reputation and fitness is not automatically regained at the conclusion of a disqualification.”

Baker added: “The Insolvency Service was clear in respect of the actions found against Mr Larkin and show a high level of wrongdoing.”