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A Leeds wholesaler has been deemed unfit to operate commercial vehicles under a restricted license.

Food wholesaler Sing Ko Ltd, trading as Sing Kee, has had its licence revoked from 30 November after the traffic commissioner ruled its vehicle and driver safety standards were 'about as bad as they can get.'

In a damning written decision following a public inquiry this month, commissioner Kevin Rooney said the business was operating 'unsafe vehicles on a frequent basis'. The vehicles were regularly overweight, with no analysis of drivers' hours and failure to provide tachograph records and driver qualification cards.

“It is entirely proportionate and necessary to bring this operation to a close,' he wrote.

The traffic commissioner told director Michael Ly that while he had found the company alone was unfit to hold a restricted licence, it could demonstrate that it was of good repute in relation to a standard national licence with the right transport manager in place.

“The transport manager would be focused on compliance and, with a standard licence, is also accountable to me,” he added.

Making the order to revoke the licence and allow time for a fresh application to be made, the regulator secured a commitment from the company to significantly reduce the period of time between vehicle safety inspections with immediate effect.

Standard licence applicants and holders are required to meet different, mandatory tests to those set out on a restricted licence.