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Trader hits out at CRB check rule
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“BUREAUCRACY gone mad!”
That is the verdict of a caterer who was forced to undergo a CRB security check by East Riding Council – for running a roadside food trailer.
Paul St. Clair, who opened Le Petit Café five years ago, was shocked when he was told by County Hall officials that he must undergo the stringent checks – which determine if a person has any criminal history.
They are usually required for those working with children or the elderly.
Mr St. Clair, of Holme-on-Spalding Moor, sells hot and cold food in a layby on the A1079 near to the village of Bishop Burton.
He pays hundreds of pounds in rates just to use the pitch each year. He did not object to paying the £50 for the check, which he passed without problem, but questioned why it has now been implemented.
“I was gobsmacked when I first heard about it,” said the 50-year-old. “I’ve actually not got a problem with it, if I’m treated fairly, then that’s fine.
‘‘ But how far will this go? We’re only a small business and it’s costing us.
“I don’t mind paying for it if everybody else has to do it.”
It is understood that under new policy, street traders are being forced to pay for the CRB check, which stands for Criminal Records Bureau, and is implemented by an executive agency of the Home Office to safeguard the vulnerable.
Mr St. Clair’s catering van is positioned less than a mile from Bishop Burton College, but says his customers are largely truck drivers or passing motorists.
He said: “I have not got a problem with paying for it if I was serving young children, but I’m at the side of the A1079 – any children we serve are with their parents in the car!
“We are near the college but 99 per cent of our trade is passing trade.
“Sweet shops do not need to have this check and they serve children all the time – I feel I’m being discriminated against.
“It’s bureaucracy gone mad and it’s just another money-making scam.”
He has already gained the support of Beverley MP Graham Stuart although he is yet to receive a response from East Riding Council leader Stephen Parnaby.
In his response letter, Mr Stuart said: “It’s hard enough to run a small business without being asked to pay for a CRB check which seems to be unnecessary.”
East Riding Council said: “Shopkeepers are not subject to licensing from the council as street traders are.
“The council consulted about this change to street trading policy and there were no issues raised by street traders.
“Nationally, many licensing authorities have also adopted the same policy.”
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Thursday 17 May 2012
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