Illegal Street Trading
- It is illegal to trade on the public highway or other public places without the appropriate Council trading license.
- It is an offence for street traders to trade without a licence or in an undesignated area.
- Offenders will face enforcement action by the Environmental Enforcement team.
For further information on street trading licences, please see our frequently asked questions about street trading licences.
Report illegal street trading
You can report illegal street trading online or by contacting us using the details at the top-right hand corner of this page.
Please try to let us know:
- the location of the street trading
- the nature of business
- the type of obstruction of the highway (tables, stands, etc)
- the times of trading, and how long the street trading has been going on
- who might be responsible (trade name of business, etc.).
How we manage illegal street trading
In cases of unlicensed street trading, materials can be seized, including perishable items, and offenders can be prosecuted or issued with a £150 fixed penalty fine.
In cases of breaches of the conditions of street trading licenses, offenders may be prosecuted or issued with a £100 penalty.
Page updated: 17 Sep 2009