CAMPERVAN owners in Winsford have been urged to check their vehicles after a businessman was jailed for more than three years for several offences including supplying an unsafe campervan.

Paul Finney, 39, who has lived at multiple addresses in Winsford and Crewe, was jailed for 38 months at Warrington Crown Court on Friday, June 24.

At the time of the offences, Finney was trading as Mid Cheshire Conversions and operating from units in Woodford Park Industrial Estate in Winsford. The business has since ceased trading.

The one particular campervan conversion was so badly carried out that the base vehicle was unsafe to use on the road and the habitation area unsafe to live in.

The faults found included improperly-installed gas appliances posing a carbon monoxide risk and improperly-wired 12 volt leisure electrics posing a risk of fire.

The sentence comprises 32 months for each of 16 fraud offences brought by the Crown Prosecution Service, to be served concurrently, and an additional six months for a breach of safety legislation.

During sentencing the judge referred to the high impact that Finney’s actions had had on the 16 fraud victims. The judge also referred to the flagrant disregard to product safety regulations that had been shown in supplying a totally unsafe vehicle.

Cllr Karen Shore, Cheshire West and Chester Council cabinet member for environment, is urging other campervan owners in the town to get their vehicle checked properly.

Cllr Shore said: “There were serious defects with this campervan conversion that could have resulted in dreadful consequences.

“We would urge anyone who has concerns about the safety of their campervan to get it checked by a properly qualified expert to ensure that it is both safe on the road and safe to live in.”

When booking a safety check campervan owners need to be sure that they know the extent of the checks that their chosen expert can carry out.

For example, it may necessary to consult different experts to look at the habitation area and the base vehicle. The general roadworthiness of the base vehicle can be assessed during an MOT.