The South Glos Post

A driver has been prosecuted for driving his 18 tonne heavy commercial vehicle through the 7.5 tonne environmental weight limit running through Easter Compton and Pilning in South Gloucestershire.

The driver, Craig Anthony Stokes of Gloucester pleaded guilty at North Avon Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 29th March and was fined £100 and ordered to pay costs of £150 plus a £15 victim surcharge.

Stokes was seen driving his vehicle through the weight restriction in Pilning, whilst en-route to Western Approach Distribution Park on Friday 17th September 2010 by an enforcement officer of South Gloucestershire Council trading standards who was in the area at the time.

Trading standards and licensing manager, Mark Pullin, said: “My officers, in partnership with the police, regularly conduct enforcement checks to ensure drivers of heavy commercial vehicles do not breach the weight limits in South Gloucestershire. Heavy goods vehicle drivers should comply with the weight limits imposed on roads and bridges, if they do not understand the requirements, they should refresh themselves with the Highway Code.”

Source: South Gloucestershire Council

Another driver has been prosecuted for driving his 15 tonne HGV through the 7.5 tonne environmental weight limit in Easter Compton and Pilning in South Gloucestershire.

The driver, Michael Christopher Bate of Bridgwater, Somerset pleaded guilty by post to North Avon Magistrates’ Court, but offered no explanation why he chose to drive through the weight restriction and on Tuesday 5th October 2010 was fined £115 and ordered to pay costs of £478 plus a £15 victim surcharge.

Bate was seen driving his vehicle through the weight restriction in the villages whilst en-route to Western Approach Distribution Park on Wednesday 21st April 2010 by an enforcement officer from South Gloucestershire Council trading standards who was in the area at the time.

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Source: South Gloucestershire Council

Another driver has been prosecuted for driving a 44 tonne articulated heavy commercial vehicle through the 7.5 tonne environmental weight restriction through Easter Compton and Pilning in South Gloucestershire.

The driver, James Smith of Tipton, West Midlands failed to enter a plea to North Avon Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 21st September 2010 and was found guilty in his absence and fined £435 and ordered to pay costs of £537.96 plus a £15 victim surcharge.

Smith was seen driving his vehicle through the weight restriction at Pilning on Friday 9th April 2010 during a weight restriction enforcement check by South Gloucestershire Council Trading Standards Service. He is believed to have been relying on his sat nav to get him to his destination towards Avonmouth.

The news comes just a week after another driver was prosecuted for driving an 18  tonne vehicle through the same restricted area in Easter Compton.

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Source: South Gloucestershire Council

A driver has been prosecuted for driving an 18 tonne heavy goods vehicle through a 7.5 tonne environmental weight restriction in Easter Compton and Pilning.

Driver Gordon Dent, of West Drayton, Middlesex pleaded guilty by post to North Avon Magistrates’ Court last week (Tuesday 7 September) and was fined £250 and ordered to pay costs of £461, plus a £15 victim surcharge.

Dent was seen driving his vehicle through the weight restriction at Easter Compton on 16th March this year by an enforcement officer from South Gloucestershire Council’s trading standards team who was in the area. At the time, the driver claimed he had relied on his satellite navigation system to get him to his destination.

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Source: South Gloucestershire Council