The owner of an skip firm in Central Scotland has been disqualified from the industry for three years by the Traffic Commissioner.

William Meikle also lost his licence to run HGVs on Friday January 8, following an order by regulator Joan Aitken.

Her directions mean that Meikle can no longer run commercial vehicles in connection with his business.

He is also disqualified from acting as a transport manager indefinitely.

The Traffic Commissioner said she was in no doubt that Mr Meikle must be put out of goods vehicle operating after hearing that he had allowed his vehicles to be used by another business which did not have a licence.

"In bluntest terms Mr Miekle has given the shelter of his licence and the discs to unlicensed persons. He has undermined the trust placed in him by the operator licensing system. He has grossly offended against fair competition for honest compliant licensed operators did not get the work which Robertsons and he took," she remarked in her written decision.

"I also take as a negative that Mr Miekle is not new to goods vehicle licensing - he has been at it a long time and knows what is required. He is not an innocent, not some naive arrival on the scene.

Aitken added that it was striking there had been no behavioural change at Miekle's business after investigators from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) identified issues with the operation of vehicles.

The Traffic Commissioner heard evidence from Mr Miekle and the DVSA during a public inquiry in Edinburgh.