Unlicensed traders face £5,000 in fines following MKC investigation

Three unlicensed traders in Milton Keynes have been ordered to pay almost £5,000 in fines following a successful investigation by MK Council.

Nathan Williams, Ian Rackley and Christine Garland were each found guilty of selling alcohol and late-night refreshments without a license via the Just Eat website and App.

Williams, Rackley and Garland used several trading names – including Mama’s Jerk Pot, Wilz Steakhouse and Vincy Vibes – to illegally sell food and drink without the appropriate licenses to do so.

Following repeated complaints regarding food quality and hygiene, MKC’s Licensing Officers undertook an investigation, which also uncovered the unlicensed traders were operating from residential premises they didn’t occupy.

All three offenders ignored MKC’s requests to discuss the offences and provided no evidence of where food is produced, how it’s cooked or packaged, and if it’s done so in accordance with hygiene and safety standards.

Councillor Lauren Townsend, Cabinet Member responsible for Licensing and Regulatory Services, said: “The ease in which these offenders have been able to sell alcohol and food online without regulation, and from premises they don’t occupy, is a serious public safety concern.

“The majority of MK businesses have continued to comply with the licensing regime, despite the challenges caused by the pandemic. Milton Keynes Council’s Licensing team carried out a lengthy and complex investigation into this matter to protect those businesses by ensuring those who act illegally don’t get away with it.”