FORGED copies of a killer driver’s operator’s licence were uncovered on a raid at a coach firm which will soon be banned from the roads.

Banning Bradford firm Skyway Travel from operating and revoking the license of its transport manager, Fazal Karim Ali, the Traffic Commissioner Kevin Rooney said the time had come for Mr Ali's public transport career to end "before someone is killed."

Wyke driver James Johnson, 64, was last week jailed for more than six years for death by dangerous driving, over a minibus crash which killed a young woman and injured many of her friends as they travelled to a hen party.

It has now been revealed that forged copies of his licence were found at Mr Ali's home.

A public inquiry by Mr Rooney, held in July, heard Mr Johnson had been put forward as the proposed new transport manager for a firm called Skyway Travel (UK) Limited, based in Odsal Road, Bradford, in 2012.

Skyway Travel's previous transport manager, Mr Ali, had been disqualified while a public inquiry had found that the licence operator - Mr Ali's wife, Farmida Akhtar - had "provided a front for her husband".

But in December 2012, Mr Rooney refused to allow Mr Johnson to take over as transport manager, saying he was "lacking in professional competence", and Mr Ali had his transport manager licence renewed.

Just four months later, Mr Johnson was involved in the crash on the M62 in which Bethany Jones, 18, was killed.

This triggered a wider investigation, and the operating centre of Skyway Travel (UK) was searched, as was Mr Ali's home.

During the search, three forged operator licence identity discs were found, all in the name of 'James Joseph Johnson.'

Earlier that year, in February, a traffic examiner had also spotted Mr Johnson's operators' licence disc on a vehicle at Skipton Coach Park. The driver said he was employed by Skyway Travel (UK) and had no idea who Mr Johnson was.

Further evidence showed on 25 occasions, the company had eight vehicles booked out when it was only licensed for up to six.

Mr Johnson made a statement to the inquiry, saying he did not know his operator's licence was being used by Skyway.

Mr Rooney's report says: "I am therefore content that, on the balance of probabilities, Skyway Travel Limited was routinely operating more vehicles than it was authorised to do, on at least one occasion, hiding behind a disc belonging to Mr Johnson."

He said he accepted there was no evidence that the forged discs found at Mr Ali's home had ever been used, nor was there any evidence the Mr Ali himself had made them.

He disqualified Mr Ali and Mrs Akhtar from holding an operator's licence for seven years, noting that this was the fourth time Mr Ali's licence had been revoked.

He said: "The time has come for his career as a public service vehicle operator to come to an end before someone is killed."

He also ordered Skyway's licence to be revoked from November 21 this year, which "allows for a period of time for the operator's customers to find new providers and the business to be wound down".