ROAD SIDE CAR SELLER ORDERED TO PAY OVER £5,000
A roadside car seller, who was repeatedly caught illegally selling cars, has been ordered to pay £5,797 at Bedford Magistrates Court on Thursday 19th January.
55-year-old Stuart Houghton of Seaton Drive,Bedford was prosecuted by Bedford Borough Council under Section 3 of The Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 for 'advertising vehicles for sale on a road'. Between October 2010 and May 2011, Mr Seaton had attempted to sell cars seven times on Seaton Drive.
He was fined £4,000 for these offences and ordered to pay £1,782 in costs as well as a £15 victim surcharge.
Councillor Charles Royden, Portfolio Holder for the Environment, said: "This sentence sends a strong message that we will not tolerate roadside car sales such as this and we will take action to prosecute those who continually break the law.
"Furthermore, I would like to remind all local residents that buying cars in this way is extremely dangerous as you have no protection if the car breaks down compared to buying from a licensed trader."
Under the "Why Would You Campaign" the Council is taking action on those that commit these types of offences and any others that affect our borough such as fly-tipping, littering, dog fouling, graffiti and fly-posting.
If you see an enviro-crime being committed, please report it to the Council and provide as much information as you can which could be used as evidence. This can include a description of the offender, vehicle registration and any photographs. If we can gather sufficient evidence we will prosecute. You can report a enviro-crime by calling 01234 267422