Police and Crime Commissioner Lisa Townsend has hailed the fight against rogue traders in Surrey after joining a special operation targeting criminals entering the county.
Stop checks were carried out on 34 trade vehicles during the day of action close to the M25 at Godstone.
Police teams were joined by partners from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Buckinghamshire and Surrey Trading Standards, the Environment Agency and Tandridge District Council.
Stolen goods
They helped determine whether there are any insurance, driver licence, operating licence or motor offences, checked for any stolen goods or metals on board vehicles and also for any signs of modern slavery or immigration offences.
Two vehicles were seized, six traffic offence reports made and eight fixed penalty notices were issued with fines totalling over £1,000. One vehicle was reported for having no tax while six prohibition notices were also issued.
Half of those vehicles checked were subject to enforcement or words of advice concerning being overweight, insecure loads and mobile phone usage.
The operation was arranged by Surrey’s Serious Organised Crime Partnership, chaired by the PCC, which helps co-ordinate the approach to tackling the issue of rogue trading in Surrey.
‘Doorstep crime’
Residents in the UK lose over £400m a year to ‘doorstep crime’ where they are pressured into paying huge sums of money for work to their homes that is either not needed or is vastly overcharged. The true figure is likely to be much higher.
Police and Crime Commissioner Lisa Townsend said: “Rogue traders who target vulnerable people in their own homes are the lowest of the low. It is one of the most cruel and despicable crimes police have to deal with.
“In the most extreme cases, victims have been known to lose their life savings and even their homes. Here in Surrey – our police teams and partner agencies are fighting back.
“Organised criminal gangs”
“Much of this type of offending is perpetrated by organised criminal gangs who we know are crossing county borders in search of victims.
“So it was fantastic to join the operation at Godstone and see first-hand the sort of action that is being taken to disrupt the organised criminality that lies behind it.
“It is a great example of how police and other agencies can come together to work in partnership to crackdown on criminals coming into Surrey and help protect some of the most vulnerable people in our communities.”