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South Eastern & Metropolitan traffic commissioner Christopher Heaps originally revoked the licence held by Silverbolt and indefinitely disqualified the company and its sole director and shareholder, James Gannon, from holding or obtaining an O-licence in any traffic area in June 2006. In August, the vehicles concerned were impounded after being stopped in a check at Crayford. Although they were displaying an O-licence in the name of Michael Murphy, the drivers stated that they were employed by  Gannon. Silverbolt had applied for the return of the vehicles on the grounds that they had been hired to Murphy, who held an O-licence in the eastern traffic area.

The TC refused, saying that no evidence of any real agreement between Murphy and Gannon had been produced, and that falsified paperwork suggesting such an agreement, combined with a direct attempt to repossess the vehicles from the firm storing them by Gannon, were not the actions of someone who believed the vehicles were being operated legally. It emerged that Murphy was not known at the operating centre specified in his licence and that no vehicles in his name had been kept there for two-and-a-half years.