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PUTTING THE ‘BOOT’ IN
COUNCILS DEMAND GOVERNMENT ACTION TO STEM THE SALE OF FAKE
GOODS AT MARKETS AND CAR BOOT SALES
WITH car boot sales and increasingly put at risk
markets being the single through the sale of
biggest source of fake goods substandard and sometime
in the UK, council leaders and dangerous goods”.
chief executives have called “There is only so much we
on the Government to tackle in industry can do to support
this damaging, and growing, trading standards by
problem. encouraging the
Over 130 delegates, implementation of good
including 23 council leaders codes of practice, so we are
and 12 council chief very disappointed by the
executives signed an open recent refusal by Business
letter to the Government, at Minister Kevin Brennan MP to
the recent Local Government give an indication as to when
Association Conference in this consultation can be
Harrogate, calling on the expected. The sheer number
Ministers to fulfil their of signatures on the petition
undertaking to consult on intimidation being used in Susie Winter, Director- demonstrates that this is an
measures to tighten the the enforcement of traders’ General of the Alliance incredibly important issue,
regulation of occasional sales patches. In addition, the link Against IP Theft said: and one the Government can
and markets – originally between the trade in “Markets and car boot sales no longer ignore. I hope that
promised by the end of 2007. counterfeit goods and are a great British tradition; it encourages them to fulfil
Urgent action is needed organised crime such as however they are frequently their commitment to review
given the evidence of people smuggling, benefit infiltrated by criminals. the current measures, and to
children being exploited to fraud, money laundering and Legitimate businesses lose provide markets and car boot
front market stalls in order to the drugs trade is well- sales, while consumers, sales with the protection they
protect the counterfeiters, established, with criminals looking for bargains in the so desperately need and
and of violence and making billions each year. economic downturn, are deserve.”
NO CHANGING OF THE GUARD
A requirement for retailers investigation considered British Retail Consortium
to license in-house security whether there was a case for Director General Stephen
guards would have added extending licensing to in- Robertson (right) said: “The
nothing but unnecessary house guards. Government is right to reject
costs and bureaucracy, said Retailing is the UK's biggest licensing for in-house security
the British Retail employer of in-house guards guards. It would have piled
Consortium (BRC). and the BRC provided new costs and bureaucracy on
The Security Industry extensive evidence to the SIA to hard-pressed retailers while
Authority (SIA) has of the good practice adopted adding nothing to public
announced that it did not by its members. protection.
find evidence of risk or In its report the SIA accepts “We told the SIA that
threat to public protection BRC evidence that retailers licensing could not raise
to justify the Government have very good recruitment retailers' standards for
introducing regulation for processes for security staff, recruitment and training dismissing unsubstantiated
in-house licensing. The including criminality checks because they are already claims that this is not so.
Government has agreed, and thorough training. The higher than the SIA requires. “Ultimately retailers live
requesting that the issue be report has acknowledged Its report rightly accepts this. or die by their reputation
re-visited in three years time. that, “Quite often the training “We're delighted that sense with customers. No
The SIA currently licenses is to a much higher standard has prevailed. In its report the responsible retailer would
guards employed by than the SIA approved SIA acknowledges the good employ security staff who
security firms. Its training.” practice within retail, put customers at risk.”
ISSUE 4 AUGUST 2009 • 13
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