The Department for Law & Justice has now completed its interviews with Station Rats A and B and can confirm that it is satisfied that, knowing Mr Fergus Redfern had recently submitted a genuine application for a Station Street Food Vendor’s Licence (SSFVL), the pair concocted a plan to impersonate Food Safety Inspectors in order to fraudulently extract money from him. Mr Redfern states:
“I had been waiting some weeks for the result of my food licence application, so when two individuals wearing white coats approached me and introduced themselves as Food Safety Inspectors from the Department for Street Food Regulation, I had no reason to disbelieve them.
They asked me a number of questions relating to food hygiene, watched me prepare a sample portion and then congratulated me, saying I had passed my assessment with ‘flying colours’ before charging me £15.62 and a block of cheese for what I believed to be my SSFVL and Food Safety Certificate.
I did think it rather strange that the licence was a Costa bag and my Food Hygiene Rating Sticker a beer mat from The Chester Station Tap with ‘5 Stars’ handwritten on it, but they assured me that the Department for Street Food Regulation was now working closely with the two establishments and that all newly issued documentation would follow this format going forward.
On reflection, I feel rather silly, but it has been my dream from a young pup to become a street food vendor, so I was so thrilled and excited to finally have my licence that I didn’t stop to think they were anything other than genuine inspectors.
I would like to apologise to every creature who became unwell after eating my Chicken Nibbles. I am truly sorry. I hope that I will still be able to legally obtain my SSFVL and earn an honest living in street catering.”
Investigators are satisfied that the fox genuinely believed he had been granted permission to begin trading. The Department for Law & Justice has had strong words regarding the importance of verifying official documentation before parting with both money and dairy products, but no further action is being taken.
Station Rats A and B remain in custody pending sentencing.