Council and partners clampdown on offences outside Old Trafford on match day
Trafford Council teamed up with partners on another day of action to clampdown on offences taking place outside Manchester United’s Old Trafford stadium on match day.
Officers from the Council’s Regulatory Services Team joined representatives from Greater Manchester Police and Manchester United on Sunday, April 7 ahead of United’s game versus Liverpool.
They tackled a number of issues including rogue trading, illegal street trading, taxis illegally plying for hire or causing obstructions, illegal parking and monitored food hygiene at food stands outside the stadium.
As part of the day of action, council officers and Greater Manchester Police staff spoke to more than 100 licenced taxis and hackney carriage drivers about illegal parking and illegally plying for hire. The Council’s parking services team handed out 19 fixed penalty notices to vehicles which were parked illegally on a clearway outside the ground.
Licensing and trading standards officers, along with Manchester United’s brand protection team, also spoke with all of the licensed pitches and street traders/peddlers outside the stadium. A total of 73 products were removed for breaking rules under the Trade Marks Act. Further legal action will be taken against some traders who were committing offences and were obstructive towards council officers who were trying to carry out their tasks.
An earlier day of action took place outside Old Trafford on February 24 ahead of United’s game versus Fulham. It was organised to promote safety on match days by improving traffic flow, clamping down on illegal plying for hire and tackling illegal street trading.
A spokesperson for Trafford Council said: “The day of action was carried out again to clampdown on illegal street trading, illegal parking and illegal plying for hire and was a success. Council officers spoke to more than 100 taxi drivers, handed out 19 fixed penalty notices for illegal parking and removed 73 products from sale.
“Safety and compliance is just as important outside the ground as it is inside the ground, and it is important that the match day experience does not have a detrimental impact on the wider community. The Regulatory Services Team will continue to carry out spot checks until the end of the season.”
A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police said: “Our partnership work with Trafford Council is vital in being able to tackle illegal street trading and parking issues. We were able to remove a significant number of unlicensed products from the streets and reprimanded traders who were offending outside Old Trafford. We will continue to work with our partners to ensure a safe matchday experience, both inside and out of the stadium, for all those attending the ground.”
Jim Liggett, Director of Operations at Manchester United, said: “We were pleased to join forces with Trafford Council and Greater Manchester Police on their day of action to clampdown on illegal behaviour at our recent Premier League fixture against Liverpool FC. We remain committed to supporting the local authorities as we seek to collectively reduce any impact matches at Old Trafford may have on the community around the stadium.”
