Rogue traders using boxing machines and 360-degree photo booths to fleece tourists in the West End were among those fined almost £70,000 in a pre-Christmas crackdown.Westminster City Council inspectors also targeted 12 pedicab riders known to charge visitors more than £42 a mile for short rides through central London.Last month, two men were forced to pay £1,860 for using boxing machines in Leicester Square to entice tourists into moneymaking scams.A court order was issued to confiscate and destroy the items.Three others have been prosecuted for illegal street trading, including the setting up of photo booths in the capital, flogging novelty gifts and selling caramelised peanuts on Westminster Bridge.A fish and chip shop in Westbourne Park and another restaurant on Edgware Road were fined £4,695 and £6,000 respectively for fly-tipping.Environmental health teams also closed five premises for poor hygiene. Other prosecutions included four in relation to noise nuisance caused by revving engines in ‘supercars’ across the borough.
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00:00Westminster Council has been on a fining spree in a pre-Christmas crackdown on rogue traders,
00:06tourist traps, unhygienic restaurants and noisy supercars.
00:11The council has handed out nearly £70,000 worth of fines, mainly focused on rogue traders
00:16scamming tourists in London's West End, such as fraudsters using rigged boxing machines
00:22and 360-degree photo booths in hotspots like Leicester Square.
00:27Twelve pedicab operators charging sometimes over £42 per mile for short journey rides
00:33through London were also targeted.
00:36Other illegal street traders were also prosecuted, including unauthorised photo booths, novelty
00:41gift sales and caramelised peanut sellers on Westminster Bridge.
00:46Environmental Health have also closed five establishments due to poor hygiene and two
00:51restaurants faced fines of around £5,000 for fly-tipping.
00:56Further actions were also taken against noise nuisances caused by revving engines in supercars
01:01across the borough.
01:03The deputy leader of Westminster Council issued a warning to rogue traders saying we will
01:07catch you and we will prosecute you.
01:10And it seems they have stuck to their word.