A Swindon-based vehicle recovery firm has lost its operator’s licence after the Traffic Commissioner found repeated and serious breaches of safety and compliance rules.
Scorpion Engineering Ltd had its HGV licence revoked following a public inquiry in Bristol on 9 October 2025 – with the revocation taking effect from 24 January.
The decision was issued by the Traffic Commissioner for the West of England and published in January. It follows a history of regulatory concerns, including overloading, tachograph failures and poor vehicle maintenance.
The company held a standard international operator’s licence allowing the use of seven vehicles and four trailers. Directors were named as Nigel Hannon and Penelope Hannon, with Sean Donovan acting as transport manager.
The inquiry heard that DVSA carried out a desk-based assessment in June 2025 after multiple roadside encounters. Inspectors recorded twenty-two encounters resulting in twenty-four defects and offences.
Failures included repeated overloading, tachograph calibration issues, poor load security arrangements and a lack of evidence showing driver CPC and transport manager training were being properly managed.
The Traffic Commissioner said twelve prohibitions had been issued over five years, which was described as shockingly high for a fleet of that size. The firm’s first-time MOT failure rate was also found to be nearly double the national average.
Several vehicles were found to be operating dangerously overloaded, including Mercedes Sprinter vehicles that were not plated to tow trailers at all. Despite this, the vehicles continued to be used with trailers for many months.
The Commissioner rejected explanations that the breaches were accidental or caused by customer error. The ruling said the company had been on clear notice of the problems but continued offending regardless.
It was concluded that the operator had pursued deliberate and reckless practices that posed a real danger to road safety. The Traffic Commissioner said the business could not be trusted to comply in the future.
As a result, the company and its primary director were found to have lost good repute, leading to mandatory licence revocation.
Transport manager Sean Donovan, aged sixty-three, resigned shortly before the inquiry. His retirement was accepted, along with an undertaking that he will not rely on his transport manager qualification again.
An application to appoint a new transport manager was withdrawn, leaving the licence without professional competence.
The Commissioner acknowledged that the company employs around twenty-five staff across its wider operations, but said revocation was necessary in the interests of public safety.
Scorpion Engineering Ltd is appealing the decision.
