One of the limos used by Darryl Williams

A Limo Hire Company boss based in the West Midlands has been hit with a hefty fine of almost £9,000 and a driving ban after his firm was found to be in breach of a string of licensing and safety regulations. Mr Darryl Williams was the owner of Redhot Recue and Oddball Limos which specialised in providing novelty limos for hen and stag dos and school proms in the Birmingham area.

The 35 year-old businessman was caught out after the council launched an undercover operation to investigate the company. A fake outing was organised comprising of 11 council employees who were transported in a limo with which could hold a maximum of 10 passengers. They were pulled over by the police as part of the investigation and official proceedings began.

After a thorough investigation Mr Williams was found to have committed a catalogue of errors in the running of his limo hire business. One of his largest vehicles, a giant fire engine with a dance floor and bar, was not licensed for private hire neither did it have a Public Service Order Operators license. It was also revealed that the limo was issued with an incorrect MOT for 3 years.

During the court proceedings it emerged that Mr Williams had previously committed a string of driving offences including jumping red lights, driving whilst using a mobile phone and speeding.

Mr Williams admitted to having run his business for 3 years with 4 limos, none of which were properly licensed. He had been ordered to pay costs amounting to £6,322 and a fine of £2,530 and has been disqualified from driving for 6 months.