Chorley scrap dealer caught flouting licencing laws after running red light

David Belcher, of Pingle Croft, Clayton-Le-Woods, Chorley, pleaded guilty to carrying on business as a scrap metal dealer without a licence.

The hearing, before Preston Magistrates’ Court, was told the 59-year-old defendant was caught going through two red light signals in Chorley.

He was stopped by police around 11.53pm on February 22 on Preston Road in Chorley, while behind the wheel of his Renault Kangoo.

When police pulled over the vehicle, they found the defendant had been out collecting scrap metal, but did not have a scrap metal collector’s licence.

He had also failed to document where the items had been collected from.

He pleaded guilty to failing to produce a record required under the Scrap Metal Dealers Act.

The court heard legislation meant he should have recorded where scrap metal had been collected and whom permission was granted from to take the items.

The Scrap Metal Dealers Act, which came into force in October 2013, made it illegal for anyone to buy scrap metal using cash, and made it law for scrap metal dealers to verify the identity of all sellers.

The intent of the Act is to prevent the theft of metal that can then be sold on for cash.

The magistrates’ bench imposed a conditional discharge for 12 months.

Belcher must also pay a £29 victim surcharge and £85 prosecution costs.

He had already received points on his driving licence for the red light offences.