TWO EBBW Vale waste disposal firms have had their vehicle licenses revoked by the Traffic Commissioner for Wales.

Adrian Lewis, a transport manager and partner in both firms, has also been disqualified from holding an operator’s licence for 30 months, as well as being disqualified from holding or applying for any transport manager position within the EU until he passes new CPC transport manager examinations.

His mother, Hazel Gray née Lewis, and his father, Graham Lewis, who were both partners with Mr Lewis in the businesses, have also been disqualified from holding or applying for an operator’s licence in any traffic area in any capacity for period of 12 months.

After concerns were raised about the use of HGVs, the operator licences of Adrian Lewis, L Carey & Partners and A Lewis Transport Ltd were all revoked.

A Transport Commissioner for Wales hearing was told of concerns at swapping of licences and discs between A Lewis Transport Ltd, L Carey & Partners [which the family had also been partners of] and Adrian Lewis.

After the concerns were raised an inquiry was opened by the Traffic Commissioner for Wales, Nick Jones.

In summary Mr Jones said: “At the hearing on 21 January 2015 I had grave concerns over a number of issues including the apparent lack of control over licences, road safety concerns and the lack of financial resources to maintain vehicles.

“Accordingly, I made decisions which included suspension of licences pending a full hearing and determination of facts.”

A further hearing was held earlier this month and its findings were published on Thursday.

It concluded: “On behalf of the operators it was conceded that Adrian Lewis was running the businesses and was swapping licences and discs between the three entities that held operator licences.

"The limited company held a standard national operator’s licence which enabled it to carry other person’s goods for hire and reward; this contrasted with the sole trader licence and partnership licence which did not have authority to carry anyone else’s goods.

"Some of the problems arose as a result of vehicles being operated under the auspices of one of the restricted operator licences, carrying goods for hire and reward.

"In each instance where this arose, goods should have been carried under the auspices of the standard national operator licence.”

In his mitigation, referring to the operator licences, Adrian Lewis said that “he had taken his eye off the ball as a result of a sustained malicious campaign against him”.

This is alleged to have included a range of incidents from arson attacks on his property, to numerous telephone calls in attempts to block lines, offensive graffiti, malicious texts, and threats to his family.