City of Westminster (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Ludovik Keqaj has been fined £6,000 for illegally selling hot dogs on Westminster Bridge, following enforcement action by Westminster City Council.
Police said that Ludovik Keqaj of Sussex Road was “one of Westminster Bridge’s most prolific illegal traders.”
After acknowledging all of the accusations in court, he was ordered to pay a total of about £7,000.
Keqaj, 52, was fined £670 for each of six offenses of unauthorized street vending on Westminster Bridge.
He was also accused of violating a community notice that forbade him from engaging in illegal commerce in Lambeth; as a result, he was fined £1,666.
In addition, he was ordered to pay £810 in court costs and a victim surcharge of £224.
Finally, according to court records, Keqaj’s “hot dog trolley” and a gas canister were seized by the authorities.
This comes after rogue dealers were apprehended on the same bridge in April by Met Police officers disguised as Batman and Robin.
The undercover cops were seen “delivering vengeance” while wearing slender superhero outfits.
A Met spokesperson said:
“Illegal gambling gangs target tourists with games known as the ‘three cups challenge’ or ‘shell game’.
Because the local Met officers have become so well known to these individuals, officers have had to come up with creative plans to deliver ‘vengeance’.”
Both were accused, with one facing an arrest warrant and the other facing a fine of about £1,000.
Why was the hot dog stand on Westminster Bridge targeted for fines and seizure?
Because the operator of the hot dog stand on Westminster Bridge was frequently participating in unlawful street trade, which is prohibited by municipal laws, the stand was the focus of fines and forfeiture.
One of the busiest illegal hot dog vendors on Westminster Bridge, Ludovik Keqaj, was found to have committed numerous infractions by operating without the necessary permissions.
Additional fines for non-compliance resulted from his disregard for community notices warning him not to engage in illegal trading in the Lambeth area.
The illicit street trade on Westminster Bridge impedes walkways, causes traffic jams, and threatens law-abiding local businesses.
In this crowded tourist location, where unlicensed merchants frequently operate rapidly and fabricate information to avoid prosecution, enforcement actions are intended to preserve public safety and order.