It may be no consolation to JH of London (6/10/12) to know that the DVLA has form when it comes to removing motorcycling entitlement from licences, normally when it is sent to them for some reason. Not long ago a well-known weekly motorcycling publication ran a series of stories on this very problem. One of those affected was a very senior executive of Honda UK motorcycle division and the other a mechanic with a police authority who had the support of his Chief Constable who was able to state that the licence had been inspected when he was taken on and that it showed the correct entitlement.

In another case the individual concerned was able to produce a photocopy of his previous licence showing the motorcycling entitlement to which the response of the DVLA was that the copy must have been forged. In each case it was necessary for the person concerned to retake the test. The problem is that we are dealing with a vast bureaucracy, which, in its own view, is never wrong and never makes a mistake and as a result it is the public who suffer.