John Murphy, 66, removed at least seven million miles from his fleet of more than 100 Mercedes which he failed to properly maintain. He is pictured left alongside David Beckham, a customer, at Manchester Piccadilly railway station in November 2015
The boss of one of Britain’s biggest VIP chauffeur firms ran an industrial-scale clocking scam that went unchecked for years after police refused to investigate him, it was reported today.
John Murphy, 66, removed at least seven million miles from his fleet of more than 100 Mercedes which he failed to properly maintain, license or insure, leaving celebrity clients including David Beckham and Wayne Rooney at risk.
But Cheshire-based Professional Chauffeur Services (PCS), avoided investigation by Greater Manchester Police because the force was allegedly reluctant to embarrass the firm’s corporate business partners.
PCS was found guilty in November of clocking and fined £250,000, while Murphy, his son-in-law and three colleagues were jailed nine months earlier for their involvement in the conspiracy, an investigation in The Times revealed today.
Chances to convict him earlier were missed because police and council officers were allegedly worried about upsetting Emirates, the company’s largest corporate client and an important in investor in the north of England.
A task force set up two years before Murphy’s conviction, which included Manchester airport police, stopped some of his drivers and discovered insurance and licensing offences but failed to prosecute.
Minutes from the meeting, written by an official from Solihull council and seen by The Times, noted the airport police inspector was ‘worried about any reputational damage towards Emirates, the airport and the police’.
Cheshire-based Professional Chauffeur Services (PCS) also had some of its cars hired to work for X Factor as seen in this photo from July 2011
The inspector replied: ‘During our conversation I did not commit to any involvement in this.
‘I need to be clear that my stance remains the same that no airport resources will be utilised in targeting PCS/ Emirates and no activity should take place within the Manchester Airport footprint. This is endorsed by the Airport Police Commander.’
The newspaper investigation also points a finger at Emirates for allegedly ignoring warnings about licensing irregularities and consecutive bankruptcies.
The Dubai-based giant also kept its contract with Murphy going despite his convictions for fraud, drink-driving and tax evasion.
PCS was found guilty in November of clocking and fined £250,000. Its cars are pictured outside Heathrow Terminal One in January 2014
The Times also notes that two licensing authorities, Northumberland Council and Transport for London, issued operating licenses to PCS even though the firm’s dispatch centres were not located in their local areas. These were eventually withdrawn.
PCS also worked for X Factor and even managed to win a contract to transport dignitaries at the G8 summit at Lough Erne, Co Fermanagh, in 2013.
An undated file photo of PCS’s headquarters in Runcorn, Cheshire
Greater Manchester Police said: ‘Despite requesting details from the licensing official, insufficient intelligence was supplied to begin a formal investigation.
‘We do not take corporate interests into account. We look at the impact of any police or other authority actions on the airport community including the travelling public.
‘Any action must be proportionate to the intelligence. We believe correspondence could have been taken out of context.’
Emirates stated it did not request to see the criminal records of suppliers and added: ‘We received assurances that PCS Events Ltd held valid licences, and we refute claims we knowingly retained a supplier that did not have the necessary licence to operate.
‘We refute any inference that untoward personal relationships were involved in the appointment of PCS Events Ltd and Sapphire Travel Management.’