A FORMER director of Ivory Plant Hire Limited was fined £3,500 and ordered to pay costs of £1,000 by magistrates at Evesham last Thursday.

Ann Gartlan, aged 37, of Enid Blyton Corner, Droitwich, pleaded guilty to seven offences of aiding and abetting the company, which operated from Crabbe Yard, Besford Road, Wadborough, to use goods vehicles without an operator's licence between February 4 and March 10 last year.

When Gartlan was asked to confirm her name and address, her solicitor, Mark Hammond, asked the magistrates to allow her not to give her address in open court for reasons that were explained in closed court. However, the application was rejected.

Lee Trubshawe, for the Vehicle Inspectorate, said the company went into voluntary receivership in December and wound up in January. Before that, from February 1999, when the "O" licence was withdrawn, operated as a haulage business against the law.

Mr Trubshawe said Gartlan was well aware of the law because she previously held an "O" licence in her own name and was sole director of Ivory Plant Hire Limited for a time.

Mr Hammond explained that as a director of the company Gartlan's responsibilities were solely administrative. The operational side was something she was not involved in.

"She is in some difficulty now because the company has gone into liquidation," he said.

"She has lost repute and for at least five years she is unlikely to be able to work in any real responsible position in transport."

Mr Hammond added that the stress of the matter over the past year had told on her health.