Cars for sale on residential streets 'impossible to stop' Fury at rogue trader problem.

Byline: David James 

ROGUE car traders who flout street trading rules are almost impossible to stop under the current laws, council officers have admitted.

Officers have told councillors campaigning to stop the problem that a combination of legal loopholes and light penalties from the city's magistrates' court meant they have had little impact on traders who use residential streets to sell cars.

The response has infuriated councillors representing areas where car traders regularly use busy residential streets to leave cars for sale, including roads in Canton, Grangetown, Whitchurch and Rumney.

Councillor Richard Cook, who last year won the support of the full city council for a motion ordering officers to investigate ways of stopping the problem, hit out at the executive and officers for their attitude.

He said: "It seems council officers are saying 'we can't enforce it, therefore what's the point?' "Well we can't enforce all people dropping litter or obstructive parking on corners, but at least we try, and have some success.

"This is another example of officers running the council and executive members not doing the job they are paid well to do, and ignoring the will of full council."

In a letter passed to Coun Cook from trading standards, officers argued that traders used multiple phone numbers to avoid detection and that, when they had brought a prosecution, the offender was given a conditional discharge.

The officer said: "They magistrates did not consider the offence serious enough to administer another penalty".

And officers concluded that a bye-law could not be introduced as there was already legislation from Westminster covering the issue.

Coun Cook said he had seen between four and six cars advertised for sale on Cowbridge Road East by Victoria Park every time he had checked since Christmas.

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