An ice cream seller has been given a suspended prison sentence after trading near last year’s Big Cheese festival without a licence.
Anthony Zaccaria, of Station Terrace, Canton, Cardiff was taken to court following a joint trading standards and environmental health investigation into his operation as Mario Super Soft Ice Cream Van last summer.
Last July, officers were on duty at the council’s annual Big Cheese festival in Caerphilly and were alerted to Mario Super Soft, trading on Crescent Road outside the boundaries of the event.
Officers discovered that Zaccaria’s vehicle did not have consent from the council and had no food hygiene certificate. He also failed to ensure that the food being sold from the van was protected against the risk of contamination.
Zaccaria was given an 18-month suspended sentence and ordered to pay costs of £446 and an £80 victim surcharge at Newport Crown Court on February 27.
Councillor David Poole, in charge of trading standards and environmental health for Caerphilly County Borough Council, said: “Legitimate traders go to great lengths to make sure they are in compliance with the law, and we will not allow those who do not see the importance of doing so to get away with it. Customers should feel safe and confident in the knowledge that businesses and individuals are taking their legal responsibilities seriously.”
Thats the way to encourage free enterprise.
The council`s regeneration section would be proud of this.
Shut Him Down?
Seize His Van?
Force him to claim benefits?
All good moves?
Would you be so flippant if you or any of yours contracted food poisoning from such people? The rules are there to avoid such instances and protect the public from such risks.
My veiws` are not flippant, and I would point out the `Rules` other than the Hygien regulations, i.e. the trading impositions which are place on free enterprise would not have been prosecuted by Caerphilly council in any other curcumstances than it offended their sensibilities because this man found a way around the perverse restrictive practices imposed by Caerphilly council on event days.
I agree with Trefor in the essence that the reason this guy’s health & safety issues were picked up was because he had circumnavigated the councils rules on trading near the big cheese. Had he not come close to encroaching on the council’s party the hygiene issue would have gone undetected, as it had all this time. I am not excusing the trader, just saying that its a shame that Caerphilly Council are not always so diligent when it comes to this issue.
Thats the way to encourage free enterprise.
The council`s regeneration section would be proud of this.
Shut Him Down?
Seize His Van?
Force him to claim benefits?
All good moves?
Would you be so flippant if you or any of yours contracted food poisoning from such people? The rules are there to avoid such instances and protect the public from such risks.
My veiws` are not flippant, and I would point out the `Rules` other than the Hygien regulations, i.e. the trading impositions which are place on free enterprise would not have been prosecuted by Caerphilly council in any other curcumstances than it offended their sensibilities because this man found a way around the perverse restrictive practices imposed by Caerphilly council on event days.
I agree with Trefor in the essence that the reason this guy’s health & safety issues were picked up was because he had circumnavigated the councils rules on trading near the big cheese. Had he not come close to encroaching on the council’s party the hygiene issue would have gone undetected, as it had all this time. I am not excusing the trader, just saying that its a shame that Caerphilly Council are not always so diligent when it comes to this issue.
@Trefor I bought ice cream from this guy on this date, he was parked on the lawn outside those office blocks just down from the Wesley church. I only remember as he was a bit of a drip and couldn’t get the order right. I bought ice-cream for myself, my Mrs and my then 3 year old daughter. Rules and regs are sometimes annoying and bewildering but sometimes they make sense. Why should he be able to rougue trade and put peoples health at risk through bad practices so he can make a couple of quid?
Risk to health and breaking these regulations is serious, and which I should have excluded from my comment, but, the application of those regulations are what these officers should be doing every day, when they find such breaches they do not result in the action they took against this man.The reason this action was taken was simply because he found a perfectly legal way to ply his trade, `outside` the area of the Big Cheese footprint. Traders should be encouraged to do this on the days of such events and enterprise should be allowed to prosper.
However, it is ironic that the full force of the Caerphilly council Officers landed on this “drippy” blokes head when it did, whilst all sort of Health and Safety regulations are being broken dauy day out which are NOT identified by the Council, including the proper management and collection of filthy rubbish bags, deliberately left on collection days, and the overflowing wheely bins in various streets throughout Caerphilly town which, the same officers,who so maticulously dealt with this trader choose to ignore day in day out, that is a health and safety hazard.
Over the top action by the Council is a demonstration of them inposing restrictive trading practices, unlawfully. Much the same as they do, often, in ilegally closing roads for various events, and without going through the proper legal processes fo doing so. Particularly the way such actions obstruct the lawful movement of ratepaying residents.
@Trefor I bought ice cream from this guy on this date, he was parked on the lawn outside those office blocks just down from the Wesley church. I only remember as he was a bit of a drip and couldn’t get the order right. I bought ice-cream for myself, my Mrs and my then 3 year old daughter. Rules and regs are sometimes annoying and bewildering but sometimes they make sense. Why should he be able to rougue trade and put peoples health at risk through bad practices so he can make a couple of quid?
Risk to health and breaking these regulations is serious, and which I should have excluded from my comment, but, the application of those regulations are what these officers should be doing every day, when they find such breaches they do not result in the action they took against this man.The reason this action was taken was simply because he found a perfectly legal way to ply his trade, `outside` the area of the Big Cheese footprint. Traders should be encouraged to do this on the days of such events and enterprise should be allowed to prosper.
However, it is ironic that the full force of the Caerphilly council Officers landed on this “drippy” blokes head when it did, whilst all sort of Health and Safety regulations are being broken day in day out which are NOT identified by the Council, including the proper management and collection of filthy rubbish bags, deliberately left on collection days, and the overflowing wheely bins in various streets throughout Caerphilly town which, the same officers,who so maticulously dealt with this trader choose to ignore day in day out, that is a health and safety hazard.
Over the top action by the Council is a demonstration of them inposing restrictive trading practices, unlawfully. Much the same as they do, often, in ilegally closing roads for various events, and without going through the proper legal processes for doing so. Particularly the way such actions obstruct the lawful movement of ratepaying residents.
There is a bigger question here, is it time to consign Cheesy Weekend to the dustbin and stage a different type of festival that does not include a fairground with expensive rides and equally over priced food?
There is a bigger question here, is it time to consign Cheesy Weekend to the dustbin and stage a different type of festival that does not include a fairground with expensive rides and equally over priced food?
A bit stupid of him to turn with a van breaking food hygiene regulations at an event where the council would be looking out for street traders trying to make some easy money without paying to have a pitch at the show. It wouldn’t have been so bad if he’d been squeaky clean and following all the food hygiene regulations but he showed a total disregard for public health.
A bit stupid of him to turn up with a van breaking food hygiene regulations at an event where the council would be looking out for street traders trying to make some easy money without paying to have a pitch at the show. It wouldn’t have been so bad if he’d been squeaky clean and following all the food hygiene regulations but he showed a total disregard for public health and he got what he deserved.