A SCRAP metal collector has been fined for operating in Oxford without the right licence.

Marius Ion, 28, of Deykin Avenue in Birmingham, was stopped on Friday, August 10 last year by community response officers from Oxford City Council.

He was seen collecting metal from a garden in Campbell Road, Oxford.

READ ALSO: The latest results from court

The officers asked to see a relevant licence. A scrap metal collector licence in Ion’s name was produced, but for a neighbouring local authority.

On December 13, during a police and criminal evidence interview, Ion confirmed that he understood he could not collect scrap metal in Oxford, and that he was aware ahead of picking up and loading the metal that he was inside the city’s boundaries.

Ion was fined £1,500 for the offence in his absence, and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £150 and costs of £250 at Oxford Magistrates Court on March 4.

Councillor Tom Hayes said: “This prosecution sends a clear message that illegal scrap metal dealing in Oxford will not be tolerated and we will continue to crack down on this illegal activity to protect the residents of Oxford from rogue traders."

The city council’s licensing team, which carried out the prosecution, has reported the outcome of the case to the authority that issued the original licence.