WARNING ON DANGEROUS TOY RING ‘Battery can cause death’ / CROYDON COUNCIL LAUNCHES PETITION FOR DOMESTIC ABUSE OFFENDERS REGISTER / PLUMBER WHO CONNED OAP OF MORE THAN £2,000 “SHOULD HAVE GONE TO PRISON” – COUNCILLOR
WARNING ON DANGEROUS TOY RING ‘Battery can cause death’
Bromley Trading Standards has issued a warning to parents after removing a large quantity of toy rings from a Santa’s grotto in the Walnuts shopping centre in Orpington.
The rings are battery operated and emit flashes of light. Officers are concerned they can easily break leaving the small button batteries accessible.
If the battery is swallowed by a child it can cause choking, internal bleeding and even death. Similar rings have been the subject of a recent national alert which recommends their withdrawal from the market.
Officers from Bromley were told by a shopper who had seen the rings at the grotto and was concerned.
Trading standards visited the Walnuts and spoke to the company in charge of the event and the Walnuts management. Both cooperated fully with the officers and handed over the stock of around 350 rings. The rings were being given to children as part of their Santa visit.
Bromley’s head of trading standards and community safety Rob Vale warned: “We think these products do not comply with the requirements of toy safety regulations.
“We would urge parents to look out for these products and if they have bought any, return them to the place of purchase for a refund.” (Source: Bromley council press release.)
CROYDON COUNCIL LAUNCHES PETITION FOR DOMESTIC ABUSE OFFENDERS REGISTER
Croydon council have launched a petition requesting the government creates a national register of domestic abuse offenders.
A total of 100,000 signatures are required for the issue to be debated in the House of Commons.
“The council feels that a national register of offenders would help the council and police tackle both the symptoms and causes of domestic violence far more effectively” said a spokesperson..
“The petition to the Home Secretary is the latest move in the council’s campaign to tackle domestic abuse and sexual violence by changing attitudes and encouraging everyone to take responsibility.”
The council have announced a three year strategy that will see it take a more radical approach to reducing the number of incidents in Croydon.
This includes a newly funded team of domestic abuse advisors that will work with communities as well as at the Family Justice Centre, as part of an innovative “hub and spoke” approach.
In addition, the council last month announced it would seek to join the international White Ribbon campaign to show its zero tolerance to domestic abuse.
Cllr Mark Watson, cabinet member for safety and justice, said: “We feel that a national register can make a real difference to tackling domestic abuse.
“It will help manage and reduce the number of serial offenders, and ensure they are not able to simply move to a different area and keep abusing.
“One hundred thousand signatures might sound like a tall task but we believe if we can spread the word that more and more people will back our campaign.
“This is for every mother, daughter, sister, grandmother, cousin and friend who has been or will be affected by domestic abuse.
“It is therefore your responsibility to act now by signing our petition.”
Link in full is
https://www.change.org/p/the-right-honourable-theresa-may-mp-home-secretary-create-a-national-register-of-domestic-abuse-offenders?recruiter=195987931&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=share_email_responsive
(Source: Croydon council press release.)
PLUMBER WHO CONNED OAP OF MORE THAN £2,000 “SHOULD HAVE GONE TO PRISON” – COUNCILLOR
No compensation payable – because he’s bankrupt
A Bromley plumber has escaped a prison term after being found guilty of scamming an elderly customer.
The plumber, who was charged with two offences of fraud, for unnecessary maintenance work and the fact he charged VAT when he was not VAT registered, was already known to Bromley trading standards, who had previously prosecuted him for unfair trading offences in 2009 when he traded under a different trading name.
He was also prosecuted by Kent Trading Standards in 2011 for the same pattern of behaviour for which he received a suspended sentence, said a Bromley council spokeswoman.
Cllr Tim Stevens, Bromley’s executive member for public protection and safety said: “Here is a man with a previous track record for defrauding consumers.
“He should have been sent to prison, especially as he committed this atrocious crime whilst serving an earlier suspended sentence.
“It’s our role to protect the public from this type of rogue trading and I would warn residents not to engage with this individual for property repairs.”
The story began in April 2012 when the plumber was contacted by a 78-year-old Bromley resident who had a problem with a toilet cistern. On attending her home he told the her the water tank in the loft was leaking and needed replacing at a cost of £1750 plus VAT.
She paid a total of £2,090. Her daughter later contacted trading standards as she was concerned about the quality of the work.
Bromley officers arranged for an expert to examine his work which was found to be of a poor standard and ‘wholly unnecessary’. He had also left the original tank in the loft which showed no sign of a previous water leak.
The plumber had pleaded not guilty but was found guilty in his absence at Bromley magistrates court in September 2013.
Three attempts to have the conviction overturned failed and he was finally sentenced at Croydon crown court on 26 November 2014.
The judge sentenced the man to nine months imprisonment on each fraud charge, which he suspended for 18 months. He also imposed a 12 month supervision order, a programme requirement for 20 days on the Thinking Skills Programme, and 120 hours of unpaid work.
A fine of £100 was imposed for the breach of the previous suspension order. An application for compensation for the consumer was refused – following mitigation that the defendant was bankrupt. (Source: Bromley council press release.)
