Lothian coach firm shut down after falsifying records

COACH firm Browns of Edinburgh has been put out of business and its owner banned from holding a public-service vehicle operator licence for four years.

The Scottish Traffic Commissioner Joan Aitken has found operators of the Broxburn-based firm had lied and falsified tachograph records and drivers' hours, and that their actions had breached the European Working Time Directive and potentially put other road users at risk.

Alistair Brown, who trades as Browns of Edinburgh with a fleet of 15 coaches, has until June 30 to sell his business.

Ms Aitken said: "I find that at the heart of this operation there was a pattern of wilful and criminal flaunting of the drivers' hours and tachograph rules and the requirement to keep proper records.

"I find that there was no credible effort to comply with the Working Time Directive and to keep the records required by that Directive."

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