An Indian takeaway has been slapped with a hefty fine of £4,413 for fly-posting offences. Ifran Raja Ahmed, was prosecuted by South Gloucestershire Council after a banner van advertising his business, Spice 37, was repeatedly parked illegally.
After failing to appear at Bristol Magistrates’ Court on Monday, October 14, Ahmed was found guilty in his absence. He has been ordered to pay the substantial sum.
The court heard that the council first became aware of the offending Iveco banner van on October 12, 2023. It was parked on Lodge Road, Yate, advertising Spice 37, which is located on Wellington Road. A letter was sent to Ahmed, highlighting the offence and requesting the removal of the vehicle, which was also noted as being untaxed and without an MOT certificate.
Despite this warning, on April 2, 2024, the owners of Spice 37 were once again sent a letter regarding the stationary banner van, which had been spotted in various locations, including at the roundabout at the bottom of Rodford Way, Yate. Banner vans are designed to be driven on the road and not parked up, where they pose a hazard to motorists due to their size and distracting advertising.
A few days later, the vehicle was spotted again at the bottom of Rodford Way, Yate near its junction with Westerleigh Road. A Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) was issued and sent to the business on April 16, along with a Community Protection Warning (CPW) prohibiting any further fly-posting.
Despite reminders sent on 1 May and 15 May, the FPN remained unpaid and no contact was made by the business owner. On Wednesday, May 29, a council officer visited the Spice 37 shop and obtained the owner’s name, Mr Ifran Raja Ahmed, and phone number from the staff.
The council spoke with Ahmed on June 3, who confirmed his ownership of the business but claimed he had not received the FPN. A new copy of the Notice was delivered to the shop on 6 June. Ahmed was then notified on 12 June that a new copy of the FPN had been left at the shop for him. Another call was made to Ahmed on 19 June to discuss how he planned to deal with the FPN, and he stated that he would arrange payment as soon as he had seen it.
However, there was no contact between Ahmed and the council and the Fixed Penalty remains unresolved.
Councillor Sean Rhodes, who is in charge of environmental enforcement at South Gloucestershire Council, said: “I’m pleased to see this considerable fine handed to the takeaway owner. Unauthorised roadside advertising is illegal, often unsightly, and can block visibility or cause a distraction to other road users.
“The council will always try to work with local businesses to resolve any issues however in cases such as this where owners fail to engage, we are left with no option than to prosecute through the courts.”