Four mechanics sentenced and ordered to pay £20K in fines for dodgy MOTs

Garage tests 23 cars but issued 103 passes, 48 of which for cars that haven't been tested in two years

Four mechanics sentenced and ordered to pay £20K in fines for dodgy MOTs
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Four mechanics have been given suspended sentences of up to eight months and will have to pay nearly £20,000 in fines, after a DVSA investigation found they were issuing fraudulent MOT certificates.

Garage owner Mark Huckstepp, his son – also called Mark – and employees Anthony Hinds and Jagdeep Lotey all worked at Gallows Corner MOTs in Romford.

After receiving intelligence that the garage was issuing MOT certificates for cars they hadn’t seen, DVSA investigators started a surveillance operation to monitor vehicles arriving and leaving the testing station.

Falsely issuing certificates

During the week that DVSA watched the firm, just 23 vehicles arrived to take their MOT but the garage issued 103 MOT certificates – more than four times the number of vehicles actually tested.

Of those certificates falsely issued, 48 were for cars that hadn’t been tested for up to two years.

All four men have been sentenced for their part in the fraud and also had their authority to perform MOT tests removed for the maximum five years.

DVSA chief executive, Gareth Llewellyn said: “We take the quality of MOT testing extremely seriously, have carried out almost 10,000 visits, assessments and re-examinations and continue to work with the industry to improve test quality.

“Issuing fraudulent MOTs means increasing the number of unroadworthy, even dangerous vehicles on our roads.

“We’ll withdraw the right to provide MOTs, and will not hesitate in prosecuting garages who put the travelling public at risk.”

Share your comments below.

19 Comments

  1. I cannot understand why anyone would risk their testing licence doing this sort of thing ,when doing it right the income from testing and the legitimate work that comes from it is quite rewarding

    Reply
  2. it is a sad fact that many towns have a MOT station like this . A friend used to do 6 or so MOT’s a day with all the servicing and repair work that went with it. A station opened up and basically did postal MOT’s he watched his business nosedive into the ground despite informing VOSA at the time what was happening, he shut up shop in the end and left the trade.

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    • When I used to do MOT 10yrs ago we used to have Mr Kelly from the ministry turn up 3 times a yr without worning and mystery shoppers you had to be doing the job right or else but them days have gone.

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  3. 5 years is not enough it should be a life ban

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  4. Some Testers don’t even see the cars they issue certs for they have arrangements with s/hand car sales man /friend that they issue dodgy certs for cars that are not roadworthy on condition car only sells with 9 month’s cert so there’s no come back on tester

    Reply
    • How on earth can they sell a car with only 9 months mot unless the seller keeps it for 3 months after the supposed test? The mot is done live by PC directly linked to DVSA

      Reply
      • They keep the car for 3 months before they sell them it’s prearranged

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  5. Disgusting. Why would people mess about with people’s lives. Mot tests can save people’s lives. I am a mot tester myself and have found vehicle wheel nuts loose on many occasions. Customers have thanked me for spotting things like this. It’s dangerous if your vehicle has not been checked.

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  6. i cant understand how acts like this are not a instant life ban.

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  7. There’s two comments above saying how did they only get a 5 year ban?
    I absolutely agree. This shows just blatant disregard for the MOT testing scheme and the safety of road users it should have automatically been a ban for life.
    Let’s face it you can get a 5 year ban for making a mistake, this was deliberate!

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  8. Easy profit for these garages and they can charge what they like for a dodgy MOT pass, guaranteed income with no regards for peoples safety,
    I run an MOT testing station and I have also been asked too look the other way. its not so much the general public its the motor trade!

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  9. WHY DO IT AND LOOSE LICENCE
    For 5 years .
    Mmm at say £30 a test
    100 tests a week £3000
    Say 45 weeks a year £135000
    But usually dodgy tests come at a premium… ?? 50 is std price so MORE ??
    50x100x45 = 225000 a year
    Not bad for doing nothing .
    SHOULD BE LIFETIME BAN and much bigger fine for this degree of fraud .
    Ex Mot tester and AE for 20 years

    Reply
  10. I have to agree with all comments here. I have a 50+ year old Riley which does not need an MOT but l will be taking for MOT for peace of mind.

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    • 100% agree, should have striped their licences for good

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  11. I agree,these culprits are typical examples of making the MOT industry a mockery,they should be banned for longer than five years.

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  12. There is a car dealer in callington selling cars with 12 months mot. A nearby garage is putting dodgy mots on these cars. Forgot the name of the dealer but he was called Gordon. The rear subframe on a car i got from him pretty much fell off. Upon inspection from a decent garage they said it was a death trap.

    Reply
  13. What will happen is a new AE will be appointed and the station will be up and running the next day as the DVSA call it a ‘white station’ here in Birmingham some stations are on their 6th AE. Something needs to change

    Reply
  14. I bought a car 6 years ago it had 12 months mot and had only been tested 3 days before I bought it but I quickly found out that the rear axle was broken when my wife who had passed her test that day drove it down the motorway at 50 mph. When I called the mot station to ask how it had passed the mot the tester replied “I told him it needed a new axle” after an argument over the fact that he had issued an mot on a dangerous vehicle I was told I could report the tester, who would then get a warning, but if I did I would have to pay for the repair myself (which i could not afford) so i was forced to allow the tester to pay for the repair in exchange for my silence.

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  15. There are a few traders we don’t deal with. One, a garage, wanted everthing to fail so he could charge for repair work! And car dealers who just want a pass certificate no matter what!
    I was asked to provide a pass to a guy before doing the repair work required, I pointed out we do not work like that and never to insult me again by asking. I then doubled his repair quote and saw him out the door, only for him to book the car in a couple of weeks later for the repairs and another full MOT!! Gotta laugh sometimes.

    Reply

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