A TOWYN man has been fined £1,000 and given three points on his licence for driving a vehicle overloaded by 1,500kg.

Thomas Reeves of Maes Y Llan, Towyn pleaded guilty to driving a vehicle that was in excess of both its gross maximum weight and its rear axle maximum weight At Llandudno Magistrates Court today on Tuesday, February.

The gross maximum weight of the vehicle driven by Mr Reeves was 3500kg but the vehicle was found to be weighing 5000kg, which was 1500kg overloaded - 42.85 percent the vehicles capacity or about 17 times the weight of the average British male. Mr Reeves was fined a total of £1,000, including victim surcharge and investigation costs, and received three penalty points.

An operation was carried out between North Wales Police, Denbighshire Trading Standards and Conwy Trading Standards on August 3 2018 at the weighbridge testing site along the A525 between Rhuddlan and St Asaph.

A Conwy trading standards officer said: “Overloaded vehicles put both the driver and other road users at risk.

"Vehicles react differently when the maximum weights they are designed to carry are exceeded and the consequences can be fatal. Overloading puts massive strain on vehicle tyres and makes the vehicle less stable, difficult to steer and take longer to stop.

"It also causes serious damage to roads and infrastructure costing local authorities and other road users increased repair and maintenance costs.”