STREET TRADER RON JORDAN WAS FINED #35 ON MONDAY

STREET TRADER RON JORDAN WAS FINED #35 ON MONDAY

FOR ILLGEALLY SELLING UMBRELLAS IN TORRENTIAL RAIN.

RON, AGED 44, WAS ARRESTED AS HE WAS BESIEGED BY A

CROWD OF EAGER WOULD-BE CUSTOMERS OUTSIDE THE TROCADERO CENTRE NEAR

LONDON’S PICCADILLY CIRCUS.

AFTER SPENDING THE NIGHT IN CUSTODY, RON, OF SQUIRES LANE,

FINCHLEY, WAS FINED #30 WITH #5 COSTS AT BOW STREET MAGISTRATES COURT

AFTER ADMITTING ‘WILFUL OBSTRUCTION.

‘

THE ENTERPREUR SET UP SHOP NEAR THE TOP TOURIST SPOT, USING

AN UMBRELLA FOR HIS OWN PROTECTION.

CHIEF METROPOLITAN STIPENDIARY MAGISTRATE MR DAVID HOPKIN WAS

TOLD THAT SO MANY SOAKING PASSERS-BY JOINED THE WAITING THRONG IN

COVENTRY STREET THAT ‘PEDESTRIANS WERE FORCED TO WALK OFF THE

PAVEMENT.

‘

RON, WHO WAS USING AN UMBRELLA HIMSELF, WAS ARRESTED AND TAKEN

INTO CUSTODY FOR ALMOST 20 HOURS ALONG WITH A TROLLEY LOAD OF HIS

WARES.

AFTERWARDS RON, STILL WEARING YELLOW OILSKINS, SAID HE HAD

BEEN ARRESTED ‘HUNDREDS OF TIMES’ DURING MANY YEARS AS A STREET

TRADER.

‘I THINK MR HOPKIN MIGHT HAVE HAD A BIT OF SYMPATHY FOR ME

THIS TIME – SOMETIMES YOU GET FINED #100.

‘

BUT HE WAS UNREPENTANT AS HE PREPARED TO PICK UP IS UMBRELLAS

FROM BOW STREET POLICE STATION.

HE ADDED : ‘I WAS ONLY PROVIDING A SERVICE.

PEOPLE WERE

GETTING REALLY WET.

THEY WERE PLEASED TO BUY AN UMBRELLA.

THEY REALLY

WANTED THEM YESTERDAY.

‘THERE ISN’T ANY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT I SELL AND WHAT THEY

SELL IN THE SHOPS.

‘I WILL JUST GO BACK AND PICK MY UMBRELLAS UP AGAIN.

I’VE GOT

TO MAKE A LIVING.

‘I’VE BEEN STREET TRADING FOR YEARS ALL OVER THE PLACE.

BUT

WESTMINSTER CITY COUNCIL HAVE NEVER BEEN PREPARED TO GRANT ME A

LICENCE ALTHOUGH I HAVE APPLIED.

‘THEY ONLY GRANT LICENCES TO A HANDFUL OF TRADERS BECAUSE THEY

SAY THE WHOLE AREA IS A CONGESTED AREA.

ITS NOT THAT CONGESTED.

‘

ENDS