A Newcastle based fresh produce retailer has been ordered to pay over £3,000 for displaying, offering for sale and selling rotten fruit and vegetables that failed to meet minimum quality standards.

Raja Mohammed Farooq Khan, owner of Medina Food Store, was charged by Newcastle Magistrates Court on 27 February 2017, following a six month long investigation by the Rural Payments Agency’s (RPA) Horticultural Marketing Inspectors (HMI).

A final HMI inspection conducted on 7 September 2016, found five offences in breach of the EU marketing rules for fresh produce quality and labelling, including rotten peppers and apples.

Khan pleaded guilty to all charges. He was ordered to pay a fine of £295, £2,798 costs and a £30 victim surcharge.

Alison Johnson, RPA Operations Director said:

Concerted efforts were made by HMI to work closely with the business through face-to-face meetings, verbal warnings and formal written notices, all aimed at achieving improved compliance from the business.

Unfortunately such advice is not always heeded and when all other options have been exhausted we will resort to the use of criminal sanction to bring about a required change in behaviour.

• Medina Food Store is based at 35 Nuns Moor Road, Fenham, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 9AU.

• Horticultural Marketing Inspectors are part of the Rural Payments Agency (RPA). The inspectors are responsible for the enforcement of the EU marketing standards for fresh fruit, vegetables, salad crops, nuts and cultivated mushroom, throughout England and Wales, wherever fresh produce is grown, imported, exported, bought or sold.

Just over a year ago, I learnt about a young woman from Bristol who had been forced to flee an abusive relationship and move, with her toddler, to a secret address.

Once there, she simply wanted to express her democratic right to vote and participate in British democracy – but it was too complicated to register anonymously and, without registering, she would not be able to express one of the most basic rights we too often take for granted.

That individual was Mehala Osborne, now a formidable and leading Women’s Aid campaigner whose story has been heard up and down the country.

Mehala’s story is one of bravery, resilience and inspiration in the pursuit of something as important as the democratic right to vote – and today the government is acting on what we have learned from her story.

Currently, those wanting to register to vote anonymously have to go through a rigorous process, providing a high level of documentation to register to vote, which many survivors of abuse lack.

Having to arrange for signed documents from senior officials – such as superintendents in the police and directors of social services at councils – would be an incredibly daunting task for anyone, let alone survivors of domestic abuse. It is clear that the existing system has often let down those affected by domestic abuse – and that cannot continue.

That is why today the government is setting out proposals to reform the anonymous registration scheme in England and Wales and make it more accessible for those escaping domestic abuse to participate fully in our democracy.

The proposals include plans to update the list of court and other orders that are acceptable as evidence of the risk to an applicant’s safety, as well as considering expanding the current list of possible evidence that can be used.

We also intend to lower the seniority required of an attestor from the police or social services – and we will consider adding additional professions to those who can attest, such as GPs and nurses.

Mehala’s journey is nothing short of inspiring. The majority of survivors who find themselves in a refuge or similar safe house simply won’t vote because of the daunting barriers to registering anonymously.

That leaves a huge hole in our democracy. I look forward to continuing to work with Women’s Aid and other organisations to make sure we get this right and that we help survivors of domestic abuse make their voices heard.

As the Prime Minister made clear on the steps of Downing Street in July, I am determined to build a democracy that works for everyone.

And that is what this Government is doing – by tackling voter fraud wherever we find it, ensuring that UK citizens who have lived overseas for longer than 15 years have the right to vote, and equalising the size of constituency boundaries so that every vote matters.

But we are equally clear that those who have been constrained by their abusers must have full freedom to express themselves in the democratic processes and the political life of the country – a commitment that we are today moving one step closer towards.

Only by doing so will we build a democracy and a country that works for everyone.

The Prime Minister has approved the appointment of Lord Justice Fulford as the first Investigatory Powers Commissioner for a 3-year term. Lord Justice Fulford will take up appointment with immediate effect.

Prime Minister Theresa May said:

I’m pleased to announce the appointment of Lord Justice Fulford as the first Investigatory Powers Commissioner. He brings a wealth of experience in the judiciary and expertise in matters of law which will be crucial to his vital role scrutinising the use of investigatory powers, as part of a world-leading oversight regime.

Biographical notes

The Rt Hon Sir Adrian Fulford qualified as a barrister in 1978 and took Silk in 1994. He was appointed a Recorder of the Crown Court in 1995. He was appointed a High Court Judge of the Queen’s Bench Division on 21 November 2002. He was elected to serve as 1 of the 18 judges of the International Criminal Court in 2003 for a term of 9 years, and was assigned to the Trial Division. He was sworn into office on 11 March 2003. He was appointed as a Lord Justice of Appeal on 10 May 2013.

With effect from 1 January 2015, Sir Adrian was the Deputy Senior Presiding Judge for England and Wales. From 1 January 2016 he became the Senior Presiding Judge. He is currently the Judge in Charge of IT and leads for the judiciary on HM Courts & Tribunals Service reform.

Whilst holding the appointment as the Investigatory Powers Commissioner, Sir Adrian will remain a Judge of the Court of Appeal.

Background

Section 227 of the Investigatory Powers Act 2016 provides for the Prime Minister to appoint the Investigatory Powers Commissioner (IPC). The role of the IPC is to authorise and oversee the use of Investigatory Powers by public authorities.

Sir Adrian will now begin work on establishing his office, and will take on the statutory functions of the IPC in due course.

Updated: Issue 2 of newsletter added.

Hawker Hunter G-BXFI crashed on to the A27, Shoreham Bypass near Shoreham Airport.