A POWYS businessman has been allowed to keep his licence after a court agreed his disqualification could lead to potential redundancies for 40 of his employees.

Gareth Rowlands appeared at Llandrindod Wells Magistrates’ Court last week, having pleaded guilty to a charge of using a mobile phone while driving a tractor.

The offence took place just before 4.30pm on May 18 last year near Rowlands’ Nantmel home. The court was told Rowlands was actually on the phone to a mechanic at the time of being spoken to by police, having broken down on the A44 at Nantmel, near Llandrindod.

The 35-year-old, who already has 6 points on his licence, was liable for a ban having admitted the offence previously. But he put forward a special reasons argument before the court last Wednesday, January 4, imploring the court not to revoke his licence as both he and his employees relied on it for the business.

Giving evidence, Rowlands said: “I’m in charge of 40 employees.

“The company has a turnover of £4 million. I drive within a 75-mile radius, from Ludlow to Shrewsbury to Knighton, and I attend weekly meetings in Stoke, and meet staff every day in Shrewsbury to hand out jobs.

“I don’t know how the loss of my licence is going to affect me. It might mean we’re not be able to fulfil a contract and could lose it, which would result in my employees losing their jobs."

Magistrates told Rowlands they would accept his exceptional hardship argument “because of the impact a disqualification would have on the business and its employees, as well as his family”.

He was handed six more points, meaning he now has 12 on his licence, and he was warned that any more indiscretions would result in him being disqualified immediately.

He was also fined £307 and ordered to pay a £34 surcharge and £85 costs.