Licensing offenders named and shamed by council
FINES totalling £4,995 have been handed out to Darlington Borough taxi drivers, traders and restaurants for flouting licensing laws.
Darlington Borough Council was also awarded £2,711 in court costs for the 12 prosecutions and four appeals during 2009.
A further 11 cautions were issued for a range of offences from taxi drivers failing to activate their meters, to street trading without a licence.
Those fined have been named in a council report, which will be discussed at a meeting of the authority's licensing committee on Tuesday, February 23. They include: *The owners of Akbar Dynasty Indian restaurant, on the A66 near Sadberge, were fined £1,500, with £143 costs, in September 2009 for serving alcohol without a licence. The premises has since been awarded an alcohol licence.
*Alan Crabtree was fined £35 with £100 costs in August for operating a burger van in Darlington without a street trading licence. He has since been awarded a licence.
*Taxi operator Mark Anthony James, who was fined a total of £1,775, with costs of £1,197, for failing to provide booking records and employing an unlicensed driver. He also failed in his bid to overturn the revocation of his operator licence, and was ordered to pay an additional £1,117.50.
*Kebab shop owner Erfan Mohammed was ordered to pay a £500 contribtion to council costs after withdrawing his appeal against a decision to reduce his trading hours. Police had complained that Mr Mohammed's shop, Best Kebab 2 in Skinnergate, was attracting trouble when nearby pubs and clubs closed.
*Taxi driver Neil Thompson who left his taxi unattended on a rank on two separate occasions was given a 12 month conditional discharge for each offence, with costs of £100.
*David Cooper, who drove a private hire car without a licence, and without insurance, was fined £335, with £110 costs. His subsequent Crown Court appeal was dismissed and his costs were increased to £500.
The figure represents a significant increase on 2008, when the council issued £1,245 of fines and received £1,595 of costs, and issued 13 cautions.
A council spokeswoman said: "These figures show that we take breaches of licensing regulations seriously and where appropriate we will take legal action."
The meeting takes place at Darlington town hall, at 9.45am. Members of the public are welcome to attend.
source:
http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/local/
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