Mr Nicol told the Reformer the raid had cost him a day's business, and one member of staff had to be paid off because the firm was now unable to deal in second-hand tyres. South Lanarkshire Council’s licensing committee approved the new regulations in May last year.
Up until then laws relating to the sale of second-hand goods excluded tyres. Regulations that came into force on February 26 required traders To pay £275 for a licence to sell second-hand tyres.
Mr Nicol said: “This place has been selling part worn-tyres for 30 years and I’ve been here for nine years and I’ve never had a single complaint about my goods.
“A guy from the council came and gave me the form I needed to apply for the licence. I put it in the glove compartment of my car and forgot about it. A month and a half later the police came.
“Whenever I phone up and ask the council for a licence no-one seems to know how you go about it.
“I can’t believe it. I had to close my business for a day. I’ve got it on CCTV and there must have been 20 to 25 officers and four vans. This isn’t drugs we’re talking about, it’s part worn tyres.”
Mr Nicol says he is aware of other premises across South Lanarkshire and Glasgow who have fallen foul of the new rules.
He added: “I had to pay someone off because of this. haven’t even been given warning. I was shocked, of course.”
A spokeswoman for Strathclyde Police said the raid had been conducted by local community cops.
She said: “Police officers, acting on information received from the local community, searched a tyre garage in Mansion Street on June 22. Consequently, a 36-year-old man has been reported under section seven of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act. A full report has been sent to the Procurator Fiscal and a number of items were seized.”
The tyres are currently being held by police pending any court proceedings.
A spokesman for South Lanarkshire Council said: “As part of a raising-awareness exercise earlier this year, a licensing standards officer visited premises selling second-hand tyres to inform them of the amendment to the Second Hand Dealers Resolution, which required all persons dealing in second-hand tyres to hold a licence. As part of that exercise an application pack was left with each applicant.
“A further application pack was requested on July 20, 2012, and has been sent to Cambuslang Tyres, Mansion Street, Cambuslang, although to date the completed application form has not been submitted.
“The new regulations came into force on February 26, this year. The Licensing Committee agreed to extend the items covered by the Second Hand Dealer Resolution and this decision was taken after consultation with Consumer and Trading Standards and Strathclyde Police.”
