main content Unlicensed burger van seized in Council crackdown

An illegal late night burger van has been seized from Bromley High Street in a joint operation between the Council’s Street Services Enforcement Team and the Police and as part of the continuing crackdown, the Council has prosecuted the owner of another late night burger van operating without a street trading licence in East Street, Bromley.

“This is a warning to traders who continue to flout the law. These unlicensed burger vans are illegal and present a real risk to public health and safety. They have not been inspected for food safety or hygiene and are often a magnet for anti-social behaviour. We shall remain vigilant and continue to monitor the town centre regularly - not only during busy shopping hours but also late in the evening - to protect people from these high street bandits” said Councillor George Taylor, Executive Councillor for the Environment.

The owner of the seized burger van, Mr Taylan Aktas, aged 42 from Belvedere, Kent, had been taken to court several times previously for trading illegally, after his application for a street trading licence was refused. Although Mr Aktas received heavy fines for these offences, he continued to break the law by selling food and drink from his burger van outside Bromley South railway station. The Council decided that imposing further fines wouldn’t act as a deterrent and tougher action was needed. The burger van was confiscated under recently introduced street trading legislation, which allows goods to be seized. Following its removal, the van remains in a secure compound pending a future decision by the Court.

In the case against the owner of the unlicensed late night burger van in East Street, Mr Irakis Papadakis of Bradford Close, Bromley, sent a written plea of guilty to Bromley Magistrates Court. The Court heard that this was Mr Papadakis’ first offence and ordered him to pay fines and costs of £400. In future, the Council could use its new street trading powers to seize his vehicle if he continued to trade from his burger van.

The burger van seizure is a first for the Street Services Enforcement Team and one of the first of its kind in London. Following on from this success, it’s likely that the new legislation will be used increasingly in future, as more illegal burger vans are removed from our streets.

To report illegal late night burger vans, call the Street Services Help Desk on: 020 8313 4621.

ENDS

For media enquiries please contact Andrew Rogers, Communications Advisor on 020 8461 7670 or Peter Turvey, Enforcement and Technical Support Manager on 020 8313 4901 or e-mail andrew.rogers@bromley.gov.uk.