Mayor apologises to Hackney newsagent over Olympic bunting bungle
Vindicated: Hamdy Shahein outside his newsagents shop in Stoke Newington High Road. Photograph: Hackney Citizen
Hackney’s Mayor Jules Pipe has apologised to a popular newsagent who was forced to remove celebratory decorations from his shop on the day the Olympic Torch relay passed by.
In a letter to Hamdy Shahein of Hamdy’s newsagent in Stoke Newington, Mayor Pipe said he was sorry for the actions of the trading standards officers who told Mr Shahein to remove his bunting, adding that he believed the officers acted “over-zealously and in a manner out of proportion to the situation”.
In his letter, which is on display in the Stoke Newington High Street shop’s window, the Mayor said the trading standards team were sorry for the mistake and have accepted that Mr Shahein’s Olympic goods were fully authorised for sale.
Mr Shahein was accused by trading standards officers of using fake or unlicensed Olympic products on July 21st and was told to remove his decorations. He says he has a licence from a wholesaler to sell these goods as an official Olympic seller, and was decorating his shop so it would look festive for the Olympics.
Mr Shahein, a hugely respected figure in the community, this week told the Hackney Citizen he was still shaken by the incident and is considering suing the council.
He said he lost money and had his reputation tarnished as a result of the Town Hall’s actions.
He said: “I’m looking for a full public apology, from the council, trading standards, and the police.”
However, he added he did not believe the incident was the fault of the police.
He said the trading standards officers had “almost grabbed” his hand and told him to remove his decorations.
Six police officers then arrived and forced him to comply.
Mr Shahein said he felt like shutting up his shop for the day and going home.
A single strip of ‘Team GB’ bunting was taken from the shop to be checked, while scores of other Olympic products on display (including flags, toys, and pencils) were not touched. Mr Shahein said he took these products off sale while trading standards were checking his licence, and now has a huge number of Olympic products left over.
He is trying to shift these at half-price, having missed the best fortnight in history in which to sell them.
Mr Shahein has given some of the same bunting to Stoke Newington Fire Station, who used it to decorate their building.
Mr Shahein said his customers have been very supportive, adding: “All my customers say I should be suing them.”
When asked whether he will do so, he said: “I am thinking about it.”
Too little, too late Mayor Pipe! This is far from the first time that council officials have harassed small businesses in the borough without merit.
I hope that Hamdy Shahein sues Hackney Council and wins!
Hackney doesn’t actually respect small businesses. It puts conditions in contracts that limit bidders to large ones, increases shop front trading charges to make it prohibitive to trade, puts aspirations to attract large chain stores into the Dalston and Hackney Central LDF despite residents indicating they want no such thing, use the law to harass market traders for the heinous crime of selling products by the pound, or even worse, by the bowl and when small businesses want to tell the truth, get lawyers letters warning them not to (Spirit of Broadway).
However, if you are a big businesses they will happily let you do what you want.
“Six police officers then arrived and forced him to comply … ”
Six? What a total and utter waste of public funds! Goodness only knows what the total cost to the taxpayer was, for this wild goose chase.
Tesco branches in the same street were selling the very same range of products but didn’t get harassed. Why?
Let’s hope this balls up is reflected in the bonus payments the Council will award its fat cats in the legal department, at the end of the financial year.
A report goes in that the welfare of a child is in danger,police, council,social services etc all drag their feet.Put a report in that a trader is selling bunting without a license and the lot of them will be down on you like a ton of bricks the same day!
This is utterly repugnant Pat.
Well, it transpires that Mr Shahein has accepted the paltry sum offered to him out of court by Hackney Council, and is planning to donate it to charity; apparently (according to the follow-up story in the Hackney Citizen), he didn’t want council taxpayers having to pay for this heavy-handed mistake by council officials. It’s easy to see who’s the bigger man by far in this situation.
And Pat, that’s about the strength of how local government bureaucracy works nowadays, particularly in a borough like Hackney.
GSOB,wait until the council gets full control of prosecuting motorists.There wont be any stopping them!