Part-worn tyre retailer in Lincolnshire faces up to 12 months in prison along with a £20,000 fine
Part-worn tyre retailer in Lincolnshire faces up to 12 months in prison along with a £20,000 fine
After just one hour’s deliberation, the jury at Lincoln Crown Court unanimously found defendant Luke McKenzie, trading as Moss Tyres in Grantham, guilty on 16 counts of being in possession to supply dangerous products, namely unsafe part worn tyres.
Mr McKenzie also pleaded guilty on two other counts – one of supplying a spare tyre of the incorrect size during a Trading Standards test purchase operation and one of providing false information stating that that tyres fitted by the business had been balanced when they had not.
Commenting on the news, Stuart Jackson, chairman of TyreSafe said:. “It is very encouraging that both the Courts and Trading Standards recognise the gravity of this safety issue and are prepared to prosecute offenders to the full extent of the law. Other retailers should pay close attention to this verdict and ensure that if they are selling part worn tyres, they are fully compliant with the relevant legislation.”
For a number of years, TyreSafe has strongly voiced its concerns about the number of dangerous and illegal part worn tyres being sold around the country. It carried out its own mystery shopper investigation which found that more than a third of part worn tyres being sold contained dangerous forms of damage or non-compliance.
According to Consumer Protection Act, it is an offence for anyone to sell part-worn tyres that do not meet a number of principal requirements. For example, the tyre’s structural integrity must not be compromised, the tyre must pass an inflation test, it must have at least 2mm of tread depth around its entire circumference, repairs must have been carried out in accordance with the relevant British Standard and the tyre must be permanently marked ‘part-worn’.
“The results of this latest successful prosecution emphasise the risk that drivers take if they opt for part worn tyres,” adds Stuart Jackson. “Our advice remains the same that the safest possible option for drivers when replacing their tyres is to go for brand new.”
Following the trial, Luke McKenzie was released on conditional bail until 7th April 2015, when he will be sentenced at Lincoln Crown Court. Each of the 16 accounts of possession of dangerous products carries a maximum sentence of 12 months imprisonment and / or a £20,000 fine.
