A SINGER who became a TikTok sensation when his video with a dancing pensioner in High Town, Hereford, went viral has been fined thousands by a court.
Millions have watched retired raver Iris shaking a leg to busker Jason Allan's tunes.
But Allan, 27, has now been ordered to pay fines and costs of more than £11,000 for offences relating to street trading on Pride Hill in Shrewsbury.
At Telford Magistrates Court on June 10, Allan was found guilty of street trading – namely selling an event ticket – without being authorised to do so. He was also found guilty of distributing free promotional leaflets without permission.
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He was fined £1,000 for the first offence and £2,500 for the second offence, and ordered to pay a victims surcharge of £1,400 and prosecution costs of £6,826.30 – a total of £11,186.30
The case was brought by Shropshire Council’s licensing team, with a council spokesperson saying it came after a series of complaints about Allan over a four-year period, and his persistent unwillingness to accept and comply with advice about what he could and could not do.
Frances Darling, Shropshire Council’s head of business and consumer protection, said: “Jason Allan has been afforded every opportunity to comply with the council’s street trading policy and local environmental rules about the distribution of leaflets, but ultimately he failed to do so. The council had no option other than to resort to prosecution as Jason Allan simply refused to accept that his music and actions had a negative impact on the wider community, and failed to change his behaviour."
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Ms Darling said the council welcomes street entertainers and buskers but needs to ensure it protects locals and the historic environment, asking all buskers to perform in a way that benefits locals and visitors.
"Whilst we are sure that most street entertainers will do their best to comply, if anyone is found to be irresponsibly flouting the laws, we will not hesitate to take enforcement action where necessary," she said.
Mr Allan, of Butcher Row, Shrewsbury, has been a full-time busker and musician since he was 16 years old, and his love for singing began when he was in a local choir from the age of eight.
When he got older, he began to sing Christmas carols in town, and when he got his first guitar at 16, he started to busk.
He said he loved it so much and made enough money, so he quit his job and has been doing it full-time ever since.
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