News

A tanker operator facing a VOSA prosecution for conspiring to falsify tachograph records has gone into administration with little chance of being sold.

TJ Slater of Preston, Lancs, its MD Terence Slater, former logistics manager Ian Slater and director Carol Slater were at the centre of a joint police and VOSA investigation.

The firm's senior management was called  before North-Western TC Beverley Bell, who was considering action against its licence following the conviction of a number of its drivers for tacho falsification. At the time TJ Slater's lawyer, Michael Cunningham, said there was no evidence against Carol Slater, while Terence Slater had resigned as MD and transport manager.

Cunningham went on to describe new director Patrick Allam as "the head of the broom that swept clean", bringing in new systems.

But within weeks administrators were appointed to begin going through TJ Slater's finances. Administrators Begbies Traynor manager Mark Delaney believes it won't be sold as a going concern. He adds: "There will be a meeting of creditors before 25 March... we've only just been appointed. We know what's on the company record as owing to creditors, but sometimes there's more than that. There's so much ambiguity."

Delaney adds that VOSA has been contacted due to its interest in the company: "VOSA could have a claim in  the company," he explains. A VOSA spokeswoman reports that it is still deciding the charges to bring against the company.

No-one from TJ Slater would comment.