An ice cream van seller has been fined the maximum £3,000 for illegally trading along Southend seafront
James McCarthy from Letchworth, Hertfordshire, appeared at Basildon Magistrates Court on Tuesday (August 23) charged with three counts of breaching section 11 of the Essex Act 1987 by selling ice cream in Thorpe Esplanade.
Under section 11 of the act, it is an offence to sell anything from within the designated areas of Southend.
More than 200 roads are affected by this bylaw, including Thorpe Esplanade as well as Pier Hill, Shoebury Common Road and Marine Parade (Leigh and Southend).
A list of all the roads can be found on Southend Council's website.
The council says McCarthy ignored several warnings from council officers in 2020 and 2021 that if he continued to sell ice creams from his van along the seafront, he would face prosecution.
He denied the charges and, following a seven-hour trial at Basildon Magistrates Court, he was found guilty and fined the maximum amount of £1,000 for each charge.
He has been fined a total of £3,000.
He was also ordered to pay £3,652 costs and £170 victim surcharge.
Martin Terry, cabinet member for public protection, said: “These byelaws exist for a reason and we must do all we can to make sure they are not breached, including prosecuting those who do not abide by them.
“I’m glad we got the right verdict and I hope this serves as a warning to those who are thinking of making a quick buck by ignoring the rules.
“It also shows our support of the legitimate businesses along the seafront who pay rent and business rates.”
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