The case was the worst that leasing firm ALD or its licence-checking supplier the Licence Bureau have seen. The unnamed driver received a total of four, four-year driving bans in the space of 16 weeks from the courts for drink driving twice, driving whilst disqualified, and other offences.

Although an extreme case, ALD says it shows how vital driver licence checking is to fleets.

ALD Automotive’s marketing director David Yates said: ‘This appalling case highlights the importance of companies checking the validity of employees’ driving licences. Ensuring all drivers have a valid licence and are legal to drive on business should be a key feature of all corporate occupational road risk policies.’

Following an initial check of drivers’ records held by the DVLA, ALD Automotive recommends that follow-up checks are undertaken annually on staff with less than four points on their licence, six monthly for those with four to seven points and quarterly on staff with eight points or more.