Fraudulent Farmer Found Guilty: A west Suffolk farmer who fraudulently obtained over £765,000 in credit from suppliers was today convicted at Ipswich Crown Court following involvement from Suffolk Trading Standards. Wayne Parker, 35, from Mildenhall, operated under Wayne Parker Farming and presented himself as a legitimate livestock owner with a successful sheep and cattle business. This façade enabled Parker to be given credit by a wide range of companies including animal suppliers, agricultural equipment stockists, landlords and vets after he claimed to be a person of good standing who would pay what he owed. Despite his assurances, Parker often made no attempt to settle his debts and, when he did, repeatedly didn’t have the funds to cover payments, resulting in bounced cheques. In addition, the farmer misled his creditors by using a series of delaying tactics such as alleging that there were problems with his bank account or that he had fallen victim to hackers. Parker’s dishonesty didn’t end there; he provided screenshots to suppliers of purported confirmation of payments when this wasn’t the case. His actions caught up with him as, after a court hearing lasting three weeks, Parker was found guilty on Tuesday 11 October of fraudulent trading and will be sentenced on 16 November. Graham Crisp, Head of Suffolk Trading Standards, commented on today’s outcome: “We began our investigation into Wayne Parker after receiving multiple reports of him fraudulently obtaining credit between early 2018 to mid-2020. During this time, he racked up an astounding £765,121 of debt with his victims, many of whom were small business owners themselves who faced financial hardship as a direct result of Parker’s actions leaving them significantly out of pocket. This has been an incredibly lengthy and complex investigation, but I am delighted that our Trading Standards team has brought about a successful prosecution that will see Parker face justice for his crimes.” Cllr Andrew Reid, Cabinet Member for Public Health and Public Protection, added: “I am immensely grateful to officers from Suffolk Trading Standards for their tireless work on this case. Wayne Parker knew full well that he did not have the funds to pay off his debts, but this did not stop him from making more and more purchases, from livestock to luxury cars. Even once declared bankrupt, he continued to lie to suppliers, taking advantage of their trust and good faith in him without any thought to the consequences. We recognise that Parker is in the minority, with most business owners in Suffolk being true to their word. However, I hope today’s outcome sends a clear message to anyone tempted to use lies and deception to live beyond their means that this behaviour will not be tolerated in our county.” Parker was previously prosecuted by Suffolk Trading Standards for posing a serious risk of spreading Bovine Tuberculosis. His crimes then included failing to dispose of farmed animal remains appropriately, moving large quantities of cattle without following the required processes and not keeping adequate records of his cattle. At this sentencing, held at Ipswich Magistrates Court in February 2020, Parker received a 12-week custodial sentence, suspended for 18 months, and was ordered to pay a £122 victim surcharge, along with costs to Suffolk Trading Standards.
Rogue traders: Between 5th October and 7th October rogue traders visited the properties of a number of elderly individuals in Lowestoft, offering to carry out garden maintenance and clearance services. The individuals took cash from the victims without carrying out all the work agreed, and then failed to return. Victims described the traders as two white males, one in their late teens, the other in their early 20's. Where you or a family member approached? Do you have any information on the traders calling, or a description of them or the vehicle(s) that were travelling in? Trading Standards always advise residents to refrain from buying at the doorstep and not to buckle to pressure from salespeople offering supposedly one-off ‘buy it now’ low prices, or giving warning about your property. Report all doorstep callers to us via Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133.
Scam Amazon Texts: Beware of scam texts claiming to be from Amazon. The link in the text sends you to a fake website that will harvest your personal information, including your bank details. Report suspicious text messages by forwarding them to 7726 (it's free of charge).
iPhone or iPad: How to forward a text message:
1 - Take a note of the number that sent you the message.
2 - Press and hold on the message bubble.
3 - Tap More.
4 - Select the message or messages you want to forward.
5 - Tap the arrow on the bottom right of your screen.
6 - Input 7726 and send.
Android: How to forward a text message:
1 - Take a note of the number that sent you the message.
2 - Enter the conversation then press and hold on the message bubble.
3 - Tap on the three vertical dots on the top right of your screen.
4 - Tap Forward.
5 - Input 7726 and send.
If 7726 doesn’t work, you can find out how to report a text message by contacting your phone provider. You can also take a screenshot or screen recording of the text message and send it to the National Cyber Security Centre at report@phishing.gov.uk. Reporting a suspicious text is free and only takes a minute. By reporting, you can reduce the amount of scam texts you receive, make yourself a harder target for scammers and help protect others from cyber-crime online.
Bird Flu: Mandatory housing measures for all poultry and captive birds in Norfolk, Suffolk and parts of Essex were introduced from 00:01 on 12 October 2022, following a decision by the United Kingdom’s Chief Veterinary Officer. The housing order legally requires all bird keepers in these hotspots to keep their birds indoors and to follow stringent biosecurity measures to help protect their flocks from the disease, regardless of type or size. Please read the regional AIPZ with housing measure declaration which sets out the requirements in Norfolk, Suffolk and parts of Essex. Read more about the latest Avian Influenza situation here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/avian-influenza-bird-flu
There are currently 8 confirmed outbreaks in Suffolk:
- Little Livermere (backyard flock)
- Fakenham Magna (commercial premises)
- Fakenham Magna (backyard flock)
- Nedging (commercial premises)
- Mutford (commercial premises)
- Little Livermere (commercial premises)
- Stoke By Nayland (commercial premises)
- Great Whelnetham (backyard flock)
Hacked Socials: Action Fraud have now received over 300 reports relating to hacked social media accounts being used to post indecent images of children. Analysis of crime reports by the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau indicates that criminals may be targeting social media accounts registered with email addresses that use custom domain names which have expired. Some victims also reported receiving suspicious emails from social media platforms asking them to “verify their account”, with the links in the emails leading to genuine-looking websites that were designed to steal login details.
What you need to do:
If you come across indecent images of children online, report it to the police by calling 101 or visiting your local police station. You should take with you the device you were using when you came across the images.
Do not, under any circumstances, screenshot, save or share the image. You will not be required to share the images with the police when making a report.
Use 2-step verification (2SV) to protect your social media accounts. 2SV can keep people from gaining access to your accounts, even if they know your password.
Ensure your social media accounts use a strong and different password to your other accounts. Combining 3 random words that each mean something to you is a great way to create a password that is easy to remember but hard to crack.
Victims of account hacking should not pay any ransoms, whether it is monetary or in the form of a ‘testimony’ video.
If your social media account has been hacked, you should report it to Action Fraud by visiting https://actionfraud.police.uk/, or by calling 0300 123 2040.
Halloween: The spookiest time of year is almost upon us. But you must remember to stay safe and ensure you are buying good quality toys, costumes and make-up.
Make sure you check labels for warnings, instructions and age suitability before purchasing a product. Products must have a UKCA or CE mark which means the product complies with the required safety standards. Take extra care if buying your Halloween outfits online - try to buy from well-known and trusted retailers. For any products using button battery cells, ensure the battery compartments are not directly accessible – the cell batteries should be either secured with a screw or require two independent actions to open them. Button cells have been involved in serious injuries and fatalities involving children. For any toys containing strong magnets, check to make sure that they are of a size that cannot be swallowed by a child. Like button cells, strong magnets have been involved in serious injuries and fatalities involving children. Take extra care when choosing Halloween make-up for children. The cosmetics you use must be labelled with the ingredients, manufacturer contact details, a durability, a batch number and the weight or volume. If you have any concerns about the safety of a product, stop using it immediately and report it to us via 0808 223 1133.
Tesco is recalling Tesco Active Strawberry Flavoured Whey Protein and Tesco Active Chocolate Fudge Flavoured Whey Protein because they may contain small pieces of metal, making them unsafe to eat.
Tesco Active Strawberry Flavoured Whey Protein
Pack size 500g
Batch code 1049765 13
Best before 31 May 2024
Tesco Active Strawberry Flavoured Whey Protein
Pack size 500g
Batch code 1050673 09, 1050673 10 and 1050673 11
Best before 31 August 2024
Tesco Active Chocolate Fudge Flavoured Whey Protein
Pack size 500g
Batch code 1049767 10 and 1049767 11
Best before 31 May 2024
If you have bought any of the above products do not eat them. Instead, return them to the store from where they were bought for a full refund, no receipt is required. If you would like any further information, please contact Tesco Customer Relations on 0800 505 555.