Moment Robert Jenrick is confronted by angry sellers at Britain’s ‘worst’ car boot sale for ‘stolen tools’
- Do you sell at this car boot sale? Contact lettice.bromovsky@dailymail.com
Robert Jenrick was subjected to a barrage of abuse after challenging sellers at a car boot sale in West London over fears they were offering stolen appliances for sale.
The shadow justice secretary visited Hounslow Heath market on Sunday, where he said he was appalled to see rows of drills, saws and power tools being sold for well below retail value; some still bore the tradesmen’s names and company signs.
Tensions quickly escalated when Jenrick began asking stallholders how they could make sure their goods weren’t stolen.
Some of the sellers in the footage became aggressive, swearing at him and demanding he leave the site.
A man selling power drills for just £20 reportedly told her to ‘get on with it’ before shouting ‘fuck you, you stupid idiot’ as he stepped towards her.
Jenrick refused to back down and reportedly replied: ‘You don’t scare me.’
The 43-year-old politician was said to be surrounded by vendors, some wearing balaclavas, who accused him of causing trouble and tried to prevent him from inspecting their stalls.
Speaking later, Jenrick said many of the tools on display appeared to have been taken from hard-working tradesmen whose vans had been broken into.
He said the absence of police allowed suspected stolen goods to be sold in broad daylight.
The shadow justice secretary visited Hounslow Heath market on Sunday and said he was appalled to see rows of drills, saws and power tools being sold for well below retail value
Tensions quickly escalated when Jenrick began asking stallholders how they could make sure their goods weren’t stolen.
“These tools have tradesman marks on them,” he told the Sun. ‘These might be tradesmen whose vans have been broken into, whose tools have been stolen and who find themselves being sold here for a tenner.’
Campaigners say Hounslow Heath has long been associated with the sale of suspected stolen equipment, with thousands of items allegedly changing hands every weekend.
Police estimate that more than £800 million worth of tools are stolen in Britain every year – many never recovered – leaving plumbers, electricians and builders unable to work.
Jenrick said the experience convinced him that tougher enforcement was urgently needed. He accused both the police and local councils of turning a blind eye and claimed traders were operating ‘without fear of being caught’.
He said officers should conduct regular raids to deter criminals and protect honest tradesmen.
‘We’ve got to make sure the police are raiding these car boot sales every week until these guys stop this, until they feel like something’s actually going to happen to them,’ he said.
After leaving the site, he described how some sellers were left ‘shaken’, covering their faces and refusing to answer simple questions about where their stock had come from.
He added that it was clear to him that many people knew they were selling stolen items.
The footage shows some sellers becoming aggressive, swearing at him and demanding he leave the site.
A Hounslow Heath car boot sale spokesman said: ‘We do not allow stolen goods to be sold in any way at our car boot sale.
‘This is shown on signage on our site, in the leaflets we give to every seller who enters our car boot sale and on our website.
‘We have been working with the Metropolitan Police for the last year. The vehicle registration of anyone selling power tools is given to the police every week. Regular visits from the police are encouraged.
‘The police have requested that eight vehicles be refused entry to our boot sale and these vehicles will no longer be able to participate in our boot sale.’
