Buckinghamshire Council proposes new street trading rules

Balloons are among the items street traders could be banned from selling

Street traders could be banned from selling vapes and balloons under proposed new rules.

Buckinghamshire Council also said those wanting to sell fast food near schools would be subject to extra scrutiny as it aimed to tackle child obesity.

Other goods that could be banned included single-use plastics, sky lanterns and merchandise displaying offensive or sexual language.

The council invited residents to have their say on its new draft policy.

Under the proposal, all street traders operating in Buckinghamshire would need consent from the local authority to trade in public areas, the Local Democracy Reporting Service wrote.

Vapes could also be banned from sale under the proposal

However, events such as school fairs would be free to trade without consent, as well as shopping centres, arcades, farms, residential properties and sellers of second-hand cars.

"Consideration will also be given to whether it is appropriate for traders to be located near to schools and similar buildings, especially if they are proposing to sell fast food," the draft policy added.

The document also stated child obesity rates were "high and increasing" in the county, with nearly one in five children starting school above a healthy weight and a third of children leaving primary school overweight or obese.

Residents would be able to comment on the proposal until 28 April, the council said.