Tuffnells launches legal action over DX ‘spying’

Tuffnells Parcels Express is taking legal action against DX Group in relation to alleged corporate espionage, according to a claim filed in the High Court.

The claim, revealed in a report in the Sunday Times, alleges that three DX Group employees conspired to obtain daily customer service reports from Tuffnells in October 2020.

Sheffield-based Tuffnells is seeking damages and demanding DX account for all profits arising from its use of confidential data.

McBurney goes for solar battery boost

McBurney Transport Group is fitting 146 new refrigerated trailers with solar panels from Genie Insights, following a one-year trial.

The 50W panels keep the fridge batteries charged to prevent breakdowns.

The group’s decision to fit solar panels was supported by data gleaned from its asset management system.

Sammy Hamill, McBurney Transport Group fleet transport manager, said: “We were surprised to see how such a simple solution could provide the answer to the battery issues increasingly common in the refrigerated transport industry.”

DX Group confirmed that it has “received a claim from Tuffnells Parcels Express in relation to confidential competitor information being obtained by DX in the past.

“Matters referred to in the claim were subject to a corporate govern- ance inquiry and investigation by DX, the conclusions of which were reported by the company in an announcement made on 20 September 2022. The group intends to defend its position robustly and will respond to the claim in due course.”

The investigation also found that DX had failed to take sufficient disciplinary action against employees who had offered a bribe for the confidential competitor information.

DX chief executive and former Tuffnells CEO Lloyd Dunn stepped down in September last year, with DX chairman Ron Series retiring just weeks later.

Series’ departure followed shareholders criticism of his handling of the inquiry, which resulted in the resignation of Grant Thornton, the group’s auditors, in February last year.

Series has since been replaced by Mark Hammond, a former chairman of Tuffnells Parcels Express, whilst Dunn was replaced by Paul Ibbetson, MD of DX Freight, who previously worked at Tuffnells.