A CAR salesman has been fined for selling vehicles on a residential road following a sting by environment protection officers.

Scott Peters, trading as SJ Peters car sales, was fined a total of �300, including costs and a victim surcharge, for attempting to sell cars in and around Turner Close and Reynolds Way in Sudbury.

Peters pleaded guilty to the offences at Bury St Edmunds Magistrates’ Court last Thursday.

Senior environmental protection officer Joanna Hart, from Babergh District Council, said the council was disappointed with the levels of the fines and costs but pleased with the result.

She said: “The council had already advised Mr Peters in April last year that he might be committing a criminal offence and yet he chose to ignore this advice and continued to use a residential area as an extension of his forecourt.”

Under the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 it is an offence to park two or more vehicles within 500 metres of each other on roads where they are advertised for sale as part of a motor vehicle business.

Operating from a unit in Alexandra Road, Mrs Hart said Peters habitually parked cars on nearby roads to show clients causing annoyance to residents.

She said Babergh environment officers carried out a “test purchase” in July and were shown two cars for sale in the area.

She added: “Mr Peters didn’t seem to care that continual coming and going of cars and clients caused annoyance and inconvenience to his neighbours, who were often unable to park near their homes.

“We hope that this case will serve as a deterrent to others who seek to flout the law by running car sales businesses from the public highway.”

jonathan.schofield@eadt.co.uk