A tyre dealer has received a nine month suspended sentence and £26,000 of penalties for selling dangerous tyres.

On April 7, Lincoln Crown Court passed sentence on Luke McKenzie on 16 counts of possessing and supplying dangerous products, one count of supplying an incorrectly-sized spare tyre and another of providing false information.

McKenzie was trading at Moss Tyres in Grantham, a tyre dealer selling new and part-worn tyres that was subject to a test purchase operation by Trading Standards, with support from TyreSafe and the National Tyre Distributors Association (NTDA). 

This operation was a result of a number of complaints from customers and led to the conviction of McKenzie in February this year.

"This sentence represents a clear message to tyre retailers across the UK," said Stuart Jackson, chairman, TyreSafe.

"As an industry body committed to safety, and with members who make up a large proportion of the UK tyre industry, we are pleased to see that motorists are being protected from illegal and sub-standard products that will endanger lives.

“TyreSafe will continue to support these investigations in any way it can, supplying expert advice and evidence as in the case of MOSS Tyres."

“Lincolnshire Trading Standards are extremely satisfied with the outcome of this prosecution. Many of the tyres seized from Moss Tyres had serious safety defects that could have had life-threatening consequences for innocent consumers and their families,” added Daniel Brown, senior Trading Standards officer at Lincolnshire County Council. 

“I hope that this judgement will send a strong message out to the part-worn tyre industry that those whom neglect their legal obligations will be investigated and enforcement action taken where necessary. If you have purchased tyres from Moss Tyres please get your car checked at your nearest garage. Lincolnshire Trading Standards wish to take this opportunity to thank Tyresafe for supporting them throughout this investigation.”

Although the legal minimum for tyre tread depth in the UK is 1.6mm, part-worn tyres must have a minimum of 2mm tread depth across the whole of the tyre before it is considered legal to sell. The tyres must also be without cuts, lumps or any other damages that will compromise its structural integrity, as well as passing an inflation test.

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