IN THE NEWS


BEDFORD MP WRITES TO CHIEF CONSTABLE FOLLOWING SPATE OF TAXI BREAK-INS


There’s been a spike in the number of Bedford taxis which are being vandalised and broken into. This is happening particularly in Queen’s Park and has spurred Bedford MP, Mohammad Yasin, to demand answers from Bedfordshire Police's Chief Constable Trevor Roden- hurst. In a letter posted on Mr Yasin’s Facebook page, he said: “As a former taxi driver, I know all too well the unnecessary stress these


actions of one individual, or the actions of a group, but I find the specific targeting of local taxis for presumably the fare money that may be inside especially callous. “Whilst I appreciate that the police will be unable to share any confidential intelligence


or


drivers will now be under. When your vehicle is also your living, break-ins such as this are simply unaffordable. “It is unclear whether these are the


information relating to an ongoing case, I would be grateful for your reassurance that these break-ins are being taken seriously and duly investigated.”


FORMER LONDON PRIVATE HIRE DRIVER HANDED 11-YEAR SANCTIONS FOR COVID LOAN ABUSE


A former London PHV driver is subject to 11 years of stringent sanctions after the Official Receiver found he abused the Covid loan scheme to claim over £47,000 more than his business was entitled to. Huseyin Houssein, 55, from Edmonton, applied for a £50,000 Bounce Back Loan in August 2020. He stated in the application that his business had a £200,000 turnover during the previous year, enabling him to


claim the


maximum loan of £50,000. BUT Houssein was made bankrupt in February 2024 and the Official Receiver overseeing his bank- ruptcy


discovered the actual


turnover for the private hire business in the year ending 31 March 2020 had only been £11,446. The amount to which he was actually entitled was just £2,861! Victoria Prime, Official Receiver at the Insolvency


Service, said: “Huseyin Houssein used false 28


information to claim money that was designed to


support


businesses through the pandemic. “He took more than £47,000 of taxpayers’ money that he was not entitled to. “The Insolvency Service takes the abuse of public money seriously and I’m pleased that these lengthy restrictions will help to protect the public from further financial harm.” The Official Receiver, who has a duty to investigate the cause of a bankruptcy, discovered that Houssein spent the £50,000 between October 2020, when the money arrived in the firm’s bank account, and May 2021. The money was not used to support his business.


Under the Bounce Back Loan scheme, businesses could claim up to 25% of their 2019 turnover, up to a maximum of £50,000. Houssein signed a Bankruptcy Restrictions Undertaking in which he did not dispute that he had


given false information to claim a £50,000 Bounce Back Loan to which he was not fully entitled. He also did not dispute that he had failed to use the money for the economic benefit of his business – a further breach of the loan scheme rules.


Houssein must abide by the


restrictions, which extend the terms of his original bankruptcy – usually a 12-month period – for another 11 years. They prevent him from acting as a company director without permission from the court, and from borrowing more than £500 without declaring that he is subject to the sanctions. The restrictions also prevent him holding certain roles in public organisations. The Secretary of State for Business and Trade accepted the undertaking on 7 January 2025. The restrictions will run until 6 January 2036.


FEBRUARY 2025 PHTM


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