Blackburn motor dealer convicted of fraud
A MOTOR dealer in Blackburn has been found guilty of making false claims relating to cars he was selling.
Abid Hussain, of Avenue Parade, Accrington, pleaded guilty to seven offences under the Fraud Act 2006, and two offences under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 Act (known as the CPR’s) at Preston Crown Court on July 7.
On Monday, he was sentenced to a total of six months imprisonment, which was suspended for 12 months, and was ordered to do 260 hours of unpaid community service. He was also ordered to contribute £1,200 towards prosecution costs.
The sentence follows an investigation which was carried out by Blackburn with Darwen Council’s public protection service. It revealed that Hussain, who was trading as AP Sports and Prestige in Newton Street, Blackburn, falsely described six cars between November 2008 and January 2009.
The court heard that the six cars had lost a total of 300,000 miles, which is thought to have raised their value by a total of around £6,000. An altered MOT certificate was used in connection with one of the offences and a falsified service book was also found in Hussain’s possession.
The council said that the case heralds the start of its campaign to clamp down on unscrupulous motor traders in the borough.
Councillor John Slater, executive member for neighbourhood and customer services, said: “This latest initiative is intended to help good motor dealers by bringing them up to date with the latest developments in legislation, and at the same time, lay the foundations for successful legal action against businesses who have a poor track record in complying with the law.”
