A LORRY driver was not at fault despite his lorry shedding its load and damaging a number of cars, a court was told.

Godfrey Bragg admitted the heavy load on his truck was insecure and involved “danger of injury to any person” at a hearing at Worcester Magistrates Court on Friday.

The court was told how the incident unfolded on September 13 last year on the B4035 Badsey Road, Evesham.

However, Bragg gave evidence on oath that he had made all the necessary checks and could not have known what would happen, which was accepted by a judge.

The 59-year-old, of High Street, Arlingham, Gloucester, was driving when the contents of his lorry spilled out on the road, the court was told.

Owen Beale, prosecuting, said: “The trailer doors came open and the contents, which were a heavy load, spilled on to the road and this ended up causing damage to a number of vehicles travelling behind.”

Bragg said under oath that he had been a lorry driver for 39 years and had worked for haulage firm RA Meredith for the last 20.

He said the lorry had been loaded overnight and contained a number of Dutch trolleys. He said he checked the straps were tight and he believed they were sufficient to secure the load. He said: “Suddenly this accident occurred. I believe that the load broke loose because the ratchet straps broke. The straps had given way completely. I didn’t have any reason to believe this would happen.” He said sometimes trolleys could work loose but he said he was not aware of that happening on this occasion.

He said other drivers had reported trolleys coming loose before but he only discovered this after talking to them after the incident.

Nigel Cadbury, the district judge, said: “I’m prepared to accept that there was no fault on your behalf as to how this happened. This company needs to think very carefully about how it secures these loads. “I’m prepared to accept that you personally were not at fault and that amounts to a special reason not to endorse your licence with any penalty points. “I will give you an absolute discharge as well.”

He was ordered to pay £60 costs.