A HOT DOG seller is furious after being told he can no longer trade outside a nightclub, where he had been working for the past 17 years.

Kendrick Hamer, 36, has been selling hot dogs and burgers outside Utopia nightclub, in Blackburn, on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights and was shocked when Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council told him he was not allowed to trade there any more.

Mr Hamer, of Kilsby Close, Farnworth, works for Superchef's Catering Company, based in Bolton. He claims he was originally told three years ago to stop trading and, after appealing against the decision, he started paying £2,000 a year in rent for use of the car park. He has now moved to BB Eleven nightclub, in Hargreaves Street, Burnley, where he is trading on Friday and Saturday nights.

He said: "I work on my own and I've never had any complaints from Utopia nightclub. The doormen all get free burgers and the staff bring me hot drinks. "It's ridiculous when the council takes money off you, but they won't let you make your own money.

"I've got a good chance of losing everything, including my house, because of this. I want my pitch back."

A council spokesman said: "Mr Hamer has never had consent for street trading, but it's true that the shopping centre had given him permission to use the car park. Although he was using the car park and paying rent to the shopping centre, the council is the ultimate landlord.

"The car park cannot be used for anything other than a car park. We have written to him and gave him a reasonable period of time to comply."

Victor Parfrement, Shopping Centre Manager, said: "The licence to trade within the bounds of the shopping centre was up for renewal. We have decided not to renew the annual licence for a number of reasons as Mr Hamer was no longer a satisfactory licensee."

The manager of Utopia nightclub refused to comment.

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