ONE of the driving forces behind Eddie Stobart’s haulage empire has been fined £600 after admitting ‘not being in proper control’ of a vehicle.

William Stobart, of Chelford Lane, Over Peover, pleaded guilty to the offence at Birmingham Magistrates Court yesterday, Tuesday, while driving a Land Rover Range Rover Sport.

The 61-year-old Knutsford businessman also had his licence endorsed with three points and was ordered to pay £240 victim surcharge and £135 costs.

The offence took place while he was driving on the M6 northbound in Birmingham on July 5, last year, the court heard.

Magistrates took his guilty plea into consideration when imposing the sentence.

He previously pleaded not guilty to a charge of using a hand held mobile device, namely an iPad, while driving the sports utility vehicle on the same day, before the case was dismissed.

As the youngest son of the logistics firm’s founder Eddie and his wife, Nora, he began working at the family run business as a teenager.

He spent more than four decades at the helm of the UK’s haulage industry.

Stobart is deputy chief executive of the Culina Group which owns the logistics company.

He is also registered at Companies House as a director at Eddie Stobart Group Ltd.

Magistrates gave him until May 1 to pay the £975 court penalty.