Two South Wales waste disposal companies have had their goods vehicle operator licences revoked by the Traffic Commissioner for Wales.

Adrian Lewis, a partner and transport manager for both A Lewis Transport and L Carey and Partners, has also been banned from holding an operator’s licence for 30 months.

He has also been disqualified from applying or holding any transport manager role until he passes CPC examinations.

Lewis’s mother Hazel Gray and his father Graham Lewis, who were also partners in the businesses, have also been banned from holding an operator’s licence for 12 months.

Their licences have all been revoked.

A DVSA investigation revealed concerns at swapping licences and discs, which culminated in all three licences being brought to a public inquiry by Nick Jones, Traffic Commissioner for Wales.

The inquiry concluded: “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.”

He added: “My concerns about the operator licences run by Adrian Lewis extends to issues of road safety; compliance with the rules relating to drivers’ hours and records; and, general adherence to the law, including the operation of vehicles for hire and reward on a restricted licence.”

The ruling followed an earlier hearing in January, after which the commissioner reported: “I had grave concerns over a number of issues including the apparent lack of control over licences, road safety concerns and their lack of financial resources to maintain vehicles.

“It emerged that vehicles were still being operated despite the earlier suspension of the operator’s licence.”

The commission was told that on a number of occasions between November 2013 and June 2014, traffic examiners has inspected vehicles operated by the businesses, and found instances of incorrect licences being used, no MOT and vehicle defects.

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

He told the commissioner that this included arson attacks on his property, nuisance phone calls, offensive text messages, threats and malicious graffiti.

However, the Traffic Commissioner’s ruling said: “Adrian Lewis no longer has the necessary good repute and professional competence as a transport manager and he is disqualified from holding or applying for any transport manager position within the EU until he passes new CPC transport manager examinations."