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Banbury burger van owner admits to illegal tobacco sideline
15/02/2023
Keith Richardson trades as Keith’s Catering Van, at the Hardwick Hill layby
A Banbury burger seller has been prosecuted for dishing out side-orders of illegal tobacco from his van.
Keith Richardson, 56, of Parsons Piece in Banbury, pleaded guilty to eight offences when he appeared at Oxford Magistrates’ Court last Friday.
Yesterday Richardson was sentenced to a 12 months’ community order of 180 hours of unpaid work and 20 days of rehabilitation activities. He was also ordered to pay £1,628 in costs. The court ordered all the seized tobacco products to be forfeited and destroyed.
Richardson trades as Keith’s Catering Van, at the Hardwick Hill layby in Banbury. He was caught after a member of the public tipped off Trading Standards. In March last year an undercover officer completed a test purchase of Amber Leaf and Golden Virginia hand-rolling tobacco. Discrepancies in the labelling were identified and both items were later confirmed as being counterfeit.
Following a further test purchase in June, trading standards officers and Thames Valley police officers executed warrants and seized counterfeit and smuggled tobacco from the van, a motor vehicle and a residential address.
Jody Kerman, Oxfordshire County Council’s Head of Trading Standards, said: “People can help us to stamp out illegal tobacco and create a healthier and safer Oxfordshire by being vigilant and reporting any suspicious activity using the illegal tobacco hotline.
“We know it can be hard to stop using tobacco products, but help is available. People are three times more likely to successfully quit by using a stop smoking service like Smokefree Oxfordshire. The service is free to everyone living in the county.”
Anyone with information about the illegal sale of any tobacco products should contact 0300 999 6 999 or report it anonymously through this website.
Published: by Banbury FM Newsteam