A GROUP of truckers have appeared in court on charges of falsifying their driving records and spending too long behind the wheel.

A GROUP of truckers have appeared in court on charges of falsifying their driving records and spending too long behind the wheel.

They pleaded guilty to a number of charges involving driving for too long without rest and taking tachiographs out of their vehicles while still working. Their offences came to light after documents were checked at Felixstowe.

Nicholas Bleaney, prosecuting at Ipswich Crown Court, said the worst scenarios included stating work had finished after arriving at Felixstowe Port then working for a further nine hours; working again after having just four hours sleep and working up to 21-hour days.

Judge David Goodin said: “The reason these offences are serious are because they strike at the heart of regulations put in force for public safety to ensue drivers of large potentially lethal machines have enough rest.”

Andrew Scott, 46, of Norwich was curfewed between 7pm and 7am for 14 weeks with a variation between September 26 and October 11.

Calum Saunders, 44, of Oulton Broad was sentenced to 250 hours unpaid work as was Richard Ogilvie, 38, of Dereham and Sean Garrett, 35, of Thetford.

Paul Bingham, 49, of Emneth was ordered to do 200 hours of unpaid work for the community and Ian Surplice, 40, of Great Yarmouth was curfewed between 7pm and 7am for 12 weeks.

All six were told to each pay £60 towards the prosecution costs which ran into tens of thousands of pounds.