Following an undercover investigation a Watford tyre dealer has been fined for supplying a tyre which failed to meet safety standards.
Hertfordshire County Council’s Trading Standards brought the case against Mumtaz Ahmed, 64, of Trinity Hall Close, Watford.
Ahmed appeared at St Albans Magistrates Court on Wednesday 18 April 2018 and pleaded guilty to supplying an ill-repaired, winter-use, part-worn tyre last August to an undercover trading standards officer. He was fined £2,230 including prosecution costs.
Ahmed, who traded as JK Tyre Masters Service Centre at 209 Queens Road, Watford, was not at the premises at the time but his employee failed to notice that the tyre had a ‘patch only’ repair and, as a consequence of a sliver of glass that was found embedded in the tread, there were two areas where the ply was exposed to water ingress, therefore making it liable to rust; undermining its structure and robustness on the road.
The officer had also simply asked for a part-worn tyre to fit. The omission of advice that for safety reasons a winter tyre should only be used if the other tyres were of that type was a further offence taken before the Magistrates. Mixing summer tyres and winter tyres on a vehicle could seriously affect the handling and stability of the vehicle.
In mitigation, the court heard that Ahmed had run this small family business for over 27 years. He was fully cooperative with Trading Standards, took full responsibility for the sale and had apologised for the mistake.
Guy Pratt, Deputy Director Community Protection, said: “We hope that this sends a message to the part-worn tyre market in Hertfordshire that we take these matters very seriously. Our consumers should be able to expect that any tyre they buy for road use complies with safety standards.
“We will continue to support businesses with advice and conduct covert test-purchasing when necessary to help protect consumers on the road and improve standards.”
The Trading Standards Business Support Team can offer advice and information on trading standards law to businesses. Call 01707 281401 for information.
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