Bideford Man Fined

At Bideford Borough magistrates’ court on February 19 Theodore Payne, of Lawries Cafe, Bideford, was fined a total of 30s for leaving a car unattended with its engine running and for driving a hackney carriage not designated as such, on Bideford Quay on January 24th.
PC Wilson said the car was left unattended with its engine running for six minutes. When he examined the licence, he discovered that it concerned a hackney carriage but no hackney carriage plate was exhibited on the vehicle.
In a letter to the Bench apologising for his absence, Payne said he left the engine running because of difficulty starting the vehicle. He did not exhibit a hackney carriage plate on the vehicle because he understood it was not necessary to do so unless a Council licence to ply for hire was held.
Gazette article dated 2 March 1951