Birmingham based limo hire firm faces £10k fine for operating illegally in a white hummer similar to the one pictured above

A limousine hire company has been fined £10,000 and the owner given a two-year suspended jail sentence after the firm was caught transporting 10 school prom passengers illegally.

The group of school pupils were being transported to their prom in Wolverhampton when the police and VOSA officials swooped on the white hummer limo as part of their planned crackdown on rogue operators.

After the hummer limo was pulled over the authorities discovered it didn’t have the appropriate certificate of fitness needed to transport 10 passengers. However the boss of A2Z Limos 4 U, Bilal Aziz, attempted to cover up the failure by producing a piece of paper which it submitted to VOSA which indicated that one of the passengers had employed the limo on a self-hire basis, which would mean that the 16-year-old girl and her family were responsible.

Handwriting experts were called in and they found that the signature of the 16-year-old on the aforementioned piece of paper had been copied from the prom-goers original booking form.

The brother of the limo hire boss, Iqbal Aziz was driving the white limousine at the time of the incident. He admitted charges of driving without a tachograph, and failing to produce a record sheet, and the use of a PSV operators licence with intent to deceive.

The limo hire company also admitted the aforementioned charges and the additional charges of using a public service vehicle without a certificate of fitness, and also operating a vehicle without third party insurance or a test certificate.

They were fined a total of £10,000 and ordered to pay £600 costs, plus Bilal Aziz received a two-year suspended sentence and told to undertake 200 hours of unpaid work.

Information sourced from http://www.expressandstar.com/news/2010/07/28/limo-hire-firm-fined-10k-for-illegal-ride/

Olly Murs will appear in a fly-on-the-wall documentary following the release of his debut single

X-Factor finalist Olly Murs will star in his own reality TV show for ITV2 it has been confirmed.

The former Essex office worker was signed up by Simon Cowell’s record label, Syco Music which is part of Sony, after his stint on the talent show last year.

The TV show will follow the aspiring singer as he releases his debut single, Please Don’t Let Me Go, which is due for release at the end of August.

The behind-the-scenes TV show will air at the same time as the new series of the X-Factor. It is hoped the programme will further boost Olly’s profile just as he’s launching himself as a solo artist.

Olly’s record label has invested heavily in him having supplied the £100,000 needed to fund the documentary. The record bosses hope fans will get to know the real Olly through the show and this will encourage them to go out and buy his debut album when it’s in September.

The 26-year-old was one of the big stars of the X-Factor last year where his cheeky chappie personality helped earn him a legion of female fans. Olly just missed out on winning the X-Factor to Joe McElderry. The Geordie singer’s album is due for release after Olly’s record has hit the shelves.

Kind hearted dad buys fire engine to transport 17-year-old daughter to her end of year prom

A fire fighter dad from Minehead in Somerset went to great lengths to ensure his daughter made an entrance to remember when she arrived at her school prom earlier this month.

56-year-old Chris Jones had promised his daughter that he’d transport her to her end of year prom in a red fire engine. However the plan for the grand entrance looked in serious doubt after the fire station boss informed Chris that he wouldn’t be able to borrow one of the fire engines for the special occasion because of health and safety reasons.

Determined not to let his daughter down on her prom day, the fireman from Somerset decided to track down his own red engine. After scouring the internet, Chris found a 1973 Commer Commando red fire engine for sale for £1,750. Anxious to not disappoint his prom-going daughter, Chris snapped up the vintage engine.

Along with a fancy outfit and a new hairdo, prom day transport is high up on the list of priorities for prom-goers. Not surprisingly limousine hire companies report being booked out months in advance on peak prom dates.

17-year-old Rebecca was described by her dad as being “quite emotional” when he rolled up in the red engine to whisk her away to her school prom. Fireman Chris says he now needs to decide whether he’ll keep the engine now the special prom date has come and gone.

White limousine transporting 16 prom goers impounded in Wales

A white stretch hummer limo has been impounded by police after a “shocking” number of faults were uncovered by VOSA officials.

The luxury limo was transporting 16 primary school pupils to a school prom celebration in Llanelli, Wales, when the transport officials seized the vehicle. The party were en route to Trostre Retails Park to celebrate the end of the school year when the limo was inspected.

A member of the public had alerted the authorities to the hummer limo after noticing that one of the doors wasn’t closing properly.

After pulling over the white limousine for inspection, VOSA officers found that the vehicle didn’t have a valid MOT certificate, the brakes were defective, wheel nuts were missing, and the doors wouldn’t shut properly.

For the safety of other road users and the young passengers who were travelling in the faulty limo, the authorities were forced to take the vehicle off the road.

One of the officers involved the inspection of the hummer said he hoped that the impounding of the vehicle would send a strong message out to any rogue operators out there that this kind of practice will not be tolerate. He also added that the safety of limo hire passenger is “paramount” and their main priority.

The vehicle has now been impounded. The owner now has the right to appeal against the seizing of the limo.

After today's announcement all 5 original Take That members are reunited

15 years after his departure from the chart topping 90’s boy band and Robbie Williams is back.

The happy news was announced today, and the reunited band also revealed that all five original members have already been working on new material for a forthcoming album which is due out in November.

The four band members Gary Barlow, Mark Owen, Jason Orange and Howard Donald re-launched the group back in 2005 to some success, picking up a number of top 10 hits and also performing a sell-out arena tour.

Robbie admitted he was “embarrassingly excited” at the prospect of re-grouping with his Take That band mates and it seems the feeling is mutual as Jason described the news as “absolutely brilliant.”

Rumours that Robbie was considering a move back with the band have been circulating for some time. Only last month the Robster revealed he and Gary Barlow had put their differences aside and have co-written a track together, Shame, which they are due to release in October.

As well as the Williams/Barlow single and the new album release, the reunited boys are looking to take the band out on the road again in a nationwide tour. According to reports the O2 Arena and Wembley Stadium are battling it out to host the £15 million Take That tour. Although the O2 is the favoured venue, it only has the capacity to hold 23,000 fans, whereas Wembley has room for an audience of 100,000.

Limo Broker featured in an article in The Independent on proms for the under 12's

Just weeks after leading UK limousine hire company Limo Broker were approached by The Sunday Times to contribute to an article on school proms, another top UK newspaper, The Independent, has turned to Limo Broker for their take on the phenomenon that is the British School Prom.

The article published in The Independent this week, please see the following link, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/endofterm-discos-are-so-last-year-2026754.html concentrates on the rise in popularity of primary school proms. The tradition of the American school prom is to celebrate the end of school life as 16-year-old pupils go out into the world, to either University or work.

However the younger kids also want a slice of the action, and now proms for the under 12’s are being organised for pupils to wave goodbye to their primary school years in style.

While some parents and teachers welcome the new craze for proms for primary school children, others are despairing saying the grown-up events are robbing youngsters of their childhood. Love them or loathe them, one thing’s for certain, they’re on the increase.

Limo Broker is asked in The Independent article to recount its experiences of dealing with primary school proms. Martin Latner, from Limo Broker, explains where the biggest rise in limo hire for under 12’s proms has been seen saying: “Particularly in the Midlands and in London we’ve seen a massive boost,” Latner goes on to say, “I remember when I got my first call from an 11-year-old. I was definitely surprised. We’re expecting it to be twice as bad next year.”

With the popularity of the school prom gaining momentum year on year, this can only spell good news for the limousine hire industry. Some hire companies are even predicting that proms will take over from weddings as the most popular occasion for limo hire in the UK within the next two-years.

Penelope Cruz married fellow Spaniard Javier Bardem earlier this month

Oscar-winning actress Penelope Cruz has married fellow Spanish actor Javier Bardem in a secret wedding ceremony in the Bahamas.

A spokesperson for the Hollywood couple confirmed the news saying the pair had exchanged vows in front of a handful of wedding guests all of whom were close family members and friends. The nuptials are reported to have taken place at a friend’s house on an island in the Bahamas. The 36-year-old bride wore a wedding gown designed by John Galliano.

There was speculation prior to the July wedding that the couple had become engaged, however these reports were never confirmed.

It is believed the pair got together while shooting the 2007 Woody Allen movie, Vicky Cristina Barcelona in which they played a couple in a tempestuous relationship. The role earned Cruz an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

The Spanish couple have worked hard to keep their relationship out of the spotlight and are rarely photographed together are red carpet events. Despite reports that the pair started dating in 2007, they didn’t confirm their relationship until May of this year.

Cruz and Bardem first met in 1992 when they acted alongside each other in the Spanish comedy film, Jamon Jamon.

In the past, the Spanish born actress has been unlucky in love having had two failed high profile relationships with Top Gun actor Tom Cruise, and also Matthew McConaughey whom she dated for two-years.

Road side checks on limos leaving school proms in Stafford helping to clamp down on Illegal operators

Another two limo hire companies are facing investigation by licensing officials after failing to provide adequate documentation following a spot check on limousines leaving a school prom in Stafford earlier this month.

A series of roadside checks were carried out on chauffeur driven limousines after they had dropped off their passengers at a year 11 school prom which was being held at The Moat House Hotel in Acton Trussell. A number of similar sting operations have been carried out up and down the country during the peak prom season.

One of the licensing officers involved in the South Staffordshire roadside checks explained that transport officials are targeting limousines attending prom events as it allows “a unique opportunity to vet a large number of limo companies in one place in a relatively short space of time.”

The licensing officials are checking that each of the limousines and chauffeurs has the correct licence documents and also appropriate insurance as they aim to clamp down on the number of illegal limo operators working in the UK.

Two limos were singled out for further investigation after failing to provide adequate licensing or insurance documentation. Both companies are now required to deliver the requested paperwork to the authorities or face prosecution.

The Staffordshire wide crackdown on illegal limo operators during the school prom season has been a success, according to one of the officers leading the operation, who says knowledge that the roadside checks were taking place has been a strong deterrent in keeping rouge limo providers off the road.

All 12 Lamborghini cars were fined for covering up their number plates

A fleet of 12 exclusive Lamborghini wedding cars were hit with hefty fines after concealing their vehicle registration plates while taking part in a wedding motorcade in China last month.

The parade of the luxury sports cars drew plenty of attention from bystanders in Beijing as they passed through the city with one onlooker describing the sight as “The most luxurious wedding limos I’ve ever seen.” Photos and videos of the Lamborghini motorcade were also posted on the internet and were the subject of much discussion.

All 12 of the top of the range Lamborghinis belonged to an exclusive motoring club. The parade was organised in honour of one of its members who was getting married.

However the impressive fleet of gleaming supercars fell foul of Chinese Road Traffic Safety Laws and as a result of covering up their vehicle registration plates, all 12 cars were subsequently fined. The police added that it is illegal to conceal any vehicle number plate, even if the vehicle is a wedding car or taking part in a motorcade.

The crème de la crème of Lamborghinis took part in the wedding display with one expert identifying the most expensive vehicle in the fleet as the Lamborghini LP670-4SV which is worth an estimated $1.1 million.

22-year-old man in police custody after taking a hummer limo from his company's depot

A limo hire company employee has been remanded in custody after attempting to steal a hummer limousine from the firm he worked for.

The 22-year-old thief had only recently secured employment as an accountant at Silver Image Limousines in Dallas, US, when he tried to make away with one of the operator’s most expensive limos.

The thief has now been formally identified by police as Daniel Rodriguez. He was charged with Unauthorised Use of a Motor Vehicle after being stopped by the authorities.

The owner of Silver Image Limousines explained how the theft of the limo was detected. The company has the quick-thinking actions of a member of the public to thank who alerted the police after seeing the hummer limo being driven in an erratic manner.

After witnessing the hummer limo making a number of illegal manoeuvres while travelling along a motorway, the police followed the car, pulling it over in Dallas, and arresting the driver on suspicion of Unauthorised Use of a Motor Vehicle. Daniel Rodriguez has subsequently been charged and is now being held in police custody.

Two passengers travelling onboard the hummer limousine at the time of the theft, Jorge Rodriguez, and Anabel Rodriguez were also arrested on outstanding traffic warrants.