Trader prosecuted for selling art on Shrewsbury street

Stephen Hooker, of Brookside, Telford, was given a conditional discharge after Shropshire Council's trading standards and licensing service brought a hearing against him.

The authority said it responded to intelligence that Hooker was selling on Pride Hill without a licence and as a result, council officers and West Mercia Police gave written and verbal advice on four occasions.

Hooker, who regularly sells his paintings of various Shropshire landmarks throughout the county, pleaded guilty to three offences of engaging in trading in a licensed street without authorisation.

In mitigation, it was claimed that Hooker believed he was operating under the authority of a pedlars certificate, despite receiving advice to the contrary in December 2017 and again in February, March and May 2018.

Telford Magistrates' Court handed him a 12 -month conditional discharge and ordered costs of £300 after he agreed he was not peddling and would change going forward.

'A clear message to street traders'

Grant Tunnadine, investigations team manager, said:“It is unfortunate that the information and warnings issued to Mr Hooker were ignored and that he failed to accept much sooner that he was breaching street trading legislation, leaving the service with no alternative but to investigate and institute legal proceedings.

"This prosecution sends a clear message to street traders looking to circumvent the law that, while we will always seek to assist traders by providing the necessary advice and guidance, if they choose to ignore us we will not hesitate to escalate enforcement.”

Shropshire Council said traders need to be aware of what licenses they need to avoid prosecution.

A pedlar is a person who trades on foot and can travel from door to door, place to place and town to town.

However, they must not be static for longer than necessary and must move once the sale has been made.

Mandy Beever, licensing team manager, said: “I would like to remind the public of the difference between someone who is street trading and requires a street trading consent or licence, and someone who is peddling and therefore requires a pedlars certificate.

“To trade as a pedlar a pedlars certificate is required and these are issued by the police.

"A trader is street trading if they sell any article, on a road, footway, beach or other area to which the public have access without payment and stays stationary for longer than the time required to make a sale.

"This activity requires either a street trading consent or licence depending on the area and is prohibited on some streets all together.”