The owner of an Edmonton furniture store was prosecuted by Enfield Council for selling potentially lethal sofas after he repeatedly refused to produce vital safety documentation.
Fehti Muftu, 48, of York Road, Edmonton, denied, but was found guilty at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court guilty of offences under Regulation 7 (3) and 20 (2) of the General Product Safety Regulations 2005.
At the hearing on 1 July magistrates fined him £500, ordered him to pay costs of £700 and a £50 Victim Surcharge
The court heard how Enfield Council’s Trading Standards officers visited UK Home Beds Direct Ltd in November 2017 and requested information to confirm the safety of the Ronin Corner Sofa unit. The documentation was not provided and despite repeated requests for documentation regarding the safety, and specifically the flammability, of the item, it was never forthcoming.
Enfield Council’s Cabinet member for Licensing & Regulatory Services, Cllr George Savva, said: “Because of the trader’s utter disregard for the safety of his customers, our trading standards officers have never been able to confirm whether this sofa unit is safe. As far as we are aware it could be incredibly flammable and pose a major risk to residents’ wellbeing. It is irresponsible, dangerous behaviour which shows a flagrant disregard for the safety of consumers.
“It is utterly irresponsible for businesses to sell products without the relevant safety documentation, customers have the right to know what they are buying is safe and where retailers fail to comply with this sort of basic legal requirement we will deal with them as swiftly as the courts allow.
“I would urge retailers to ensure they have the relevant paperwork to ensure they can ascertain that the products are selling are safe and do not pose a risk to the safety of the general public.”