A North West furniture manufacturer, Valiant Furniture (NW) Ltd, was refused a restricted HGV operator's licence after a Deputy Traffic Commissioner found a repeated pattern of business failures, substantial unpaid debts and successor companies trading under similar names, according to a Traffic Commissioners for Great Britain press release published on 5 August 2026. Deputy Traffic Commissioner Mark Hinchliffe refused the application, which had sought authority to operate two vehicles. The company's sole director, Mr S J Urmston, attended a public inquiry in Haydock on 14 July 2026.

The inquiry examined several companies controlled by Mr Urmston that had previously held operator licences and later entered insolvency owing significant sums to HMRC, banks, suppliers and other creditors. The written decision described accumulated deficiencies ranging from hundreds of thousands of pounds to almost £1 million before new businesses were established under similar names.

Mr Hinchliffe acknowledged that Mr Urmston had not been disqualified as a director, had no known relevant convictions and no recorded regulatory action against previous licences, and that the applicant appeared to have sufficient funds for a two-vehicle restricted licence. Weighing the evidence as a whole, however, he was not satisfied the applicant was fit to hold a licence, finding the failures could not be adequately explained by factors Mr Urmston cited, including withdrawn banking facilities, the Covid-19 pandemic and supplier issues.