A West Wales haulage firm ‘deserves to go out of business’ after putting its employees and other road users in danger, a public inquiry has heard.

Mansel Davies & Son Ltd, based in Llanfyrnach near Crymych, has had its licence revoked after owners admitted 19 counts of forgery and counterfeiting maintenance documents for goods vehicles back in September last year.

Traffic Commissioner for Wales, Nicholas Denton, described the company, which employs around 300 people, as ‘irredeemably tainted’ by its conduct in failing to carry out preventative maintenance on its fleet of lorries and said that it ‘deserves to go out of business’.

Recording a decision, the traffic commissioner revoked the company’s operating licence with effect from 1 February, 2021.

Rhodri Wyn and Stephen Mansel Edward Davies were disqualified from acting as transport managers, and company directors David Kaye Mansel Davies and Stephen Mansel Edward Davies were disqualified from holding an operator’s licence.

While Mr Denton said he was “impressed” by the firm’s new directors - Sasha Davies, Scott Davies and Jamie Evans – he was not willing to give them a licence.

In his report, Mr Denton said: “I do not believe that the general public would understand if the licence of Mansel Davies & Son Ltd were to be revoked on account of the extensive malpractice described above, only for a licence to be granted to Mansel Davies and Son Group Ltd, operating the same vehicles in the same livery from the same operating centre.

“At the inquiry, the new generation was presented to me as marking a huge shift in company culture – the injection of new ideas, a modern approach, proper ethics and a completely fresh start to the business

"To a large extent I am prepared to buy that. But I believe that the fresh start would be more real and visible to customers, employees, the general public and the regulator if group were to change its name so that the name Mansel Davies no longer appeared.

“I recognise that it will not be easy for the Mansel Davies family to effect such a change, but in my view the necessary cultural change will only be achieved and embedded if group goes forward with a new name.

“I recognise that, with 141 liveried vehicles in the current fleet, it will take some time to translate any name change onto the vehicles. I am currently exploring with the directors of group what an urgent but practicable timetable for change might look like, before reaching a final decision on the application.”

On 11 February, Swansea Crown Court fined the company £380,000 with costs of £120,000.

Jonathan Wyn Phillips, an administrative assistant for the firm, was also handed a nine-month prison sentence suspended for two years, and ordered to pay £1,640 in costs and surcharges.