TOWN centre traders are calling for a crackdown on street pedlars who need nothing more than a £12 licence to sell their wares.

Unlike street traders who are licenced by the council, pedlars receive their £12.25 permits from the police and do not require a fixed site for selling.

Bournemouth Police is no longer issuing pedlars' licences but permits can be obtained from any police force in the country, entitling pedlars to travel from door to door, town to town selling their goods for a year.

Bournemouth town centre manager Kevin Moore said: "As far as I'm concerned the pedlars are trading illegally. We are working with our licensing officers and our legal team to try and form a solution to this problem."

And Mike Vincent, president of Bournemouth Chamber of Trade and Commerce, said: "Traders are getting fed up with them, particularly since many of them are selling poor-quality versions of items that are available in shops.

"You can argue that having one or two in the town centre adds a little bit of life to Bournemouth but the reality is that people buy things from them then get home and discover they have bought rubbish. They then feel that they have been ripped off in Bournemouth.

"There are more and more pedlars about lately and I'm convinced there are some around that haven't even got their £12 licence."

Bournemouth Police Inspector Neil MacBean said: "The system we are working with is old and outdated. The police should not have to handle licensing and it is time for a change."

First published: September 10