Episode 10 X-Ray

You're watching X-Ray. On tonight's programme: Breaking the law - the

sunbed salons who'll let anyone in. Banned as a troublemaker - why

won't Edwards Coaches let Margaret travel with them? And our old

friends Excel Parking - how the DVLA's making life it more

Hello. Tonight I'm in Ebbw Vale. It's a familiar place for us,

especially this Car park. The company that runs it, Excel Parking,

has upset hundreds of local people. But now the authorities are

clamping down on the company's actions. More on that later. First

though, a year ago our government bought in new laws to protect

children and adults from the dangers of using sunbeds. But are

tanning salons on our High Street There was a time when you talked

about a good, healthy tan. But things have changed. A 14-year-old

girl had to be rushed to hospital with first degree burns over most

of her body after spending 90 minutes on a sunbed. This is Kirsty,

the result of spending 90 minutes in eight tanning both at an

unmanned salon. Since that shocking case, the law has been changed.

Under 18 San now banned from tanning salons. Even adults need to

be given sensible advice. Under the new laws, all tanning salons must

check the age of customers. Help them work out their skin type. And

give advice based on that skin- tight. If they SSE was having fair

skin, they should advise you not to hasten bed at all. They have to

display this stark warning in reception. It's a bit like the

warning on cigarette packet? Well, there is a reason for that. They

are both official class one carcinogens. But our Welsh tanning

salons playing by the rules? We are going to find out. Meet 14-year-old

LF. She is way too young to use a sunbed. And this is Karen. Her fair

skin means she needs to be careful in the sun. They are going to get

some tanning advice from a skin that is -- expert. So sunbeds

damage your skin. Having a suntan naturally or from a sunbed, you

have to damage the DNA of the skin to cause suntan to happen. The only

safe tan is a fake tan. Are I have fairly fair skin and quite a few

freckles. Should I be using something like a sunbed? I would

not recommended for somebody as fair-skinned as you. You have told

us that you burn easily. Stay away and fake it. Definitely. If I walk

in with quite fair skin, and somebody let me use a sunbed? What

you think about that? If you told them what you told me and they let

you, I think they would be negligent. Now it is 14-year-old

Ella's turn. Is it more dangerous for me to use a sunbed now than if

I was a 25? So ended at a young age seems to be more dangerous at a

young age. If they let you, they would be breaking the law.

sunbed businesses like the one in this swish salon in Cardiff Bay

should refuse entry to allow for being too young and advise Karen

that she should not be using a sunbed because her skin is to fair.

But is that the advice they will get? The girls are getting rigged

up with secret cameras. Hello. seems some salons do not care who

they serve. Join us later for the shocking results of this

investigation. More on that later. Remember if you've got anything to

say on this story or if there's an issues you'd like us to investigate

get in touch now. The lines are open now, or you can email us or

send us a tweet. Now here on X-Ray we're all about standing up for

your rights. So when a viewer told us that one company banned her

after she'd done just that, we had to find out more. There is a new

troublemaker in town. This woman has been striking fear into the

heart of one Welsh coach firm. So much so that they have taken

drastic action. But this is not your typical rabble-rouser. This is

Margaret, a housewife. What has she done to deserve this fearsome

reputation? She has simply spoken out against poor customer service.

This summer, Margaret and Carl booked a nine-day tour of the

French Riviera with Excel Parking. They travelled with them before and

were fought -- sure they had all the right ingredients to make the

trip extra-special. We look through the brochure added was in -- an

area we always funded that -- fancy going. But the holiday did not turn

out as they were hoping. The problem started on the very first

morning when the minibus taking them to the pick-up point was late.

Then they were told the luxurious coach they had paid extra for was

not available. And when Margaret and Carl arrived at their

destination, the four-star Embassy Hotel, the disappointment continued.

We refer has got there, there was no one on the reception desk. --

when we first got there. One of the people on the trip was handing out

the keys for the rooms. The room was not clean. The bedding was

clean but the carpet was marked and it was dingy. It looked like it was

due for a bit of an update. What about the food at the hotel?

thought it was like canteen food. You had to order it the night

before. Every day, you knew you had to go back to the hotel and the

standard of food, and it just took the edge of the holiday. Left

feeling their four-star Holiday had fallen short of what they had been

promised, Margaret and Carl contacted Excel Parking -- Edwards

Coaches when they got home to let them know about the problems they

had had. The firm offered this is serious apologies. Be refunded the

couple the extra �100 they had paid to travel on board the luxury coach.

But Margaret and Carl felt they should be refunded part of the cost

of the trip. And after a while, Edwards Coaches offered them an

amount they found their adjustable, �300. How were things left? If you

want to put it another holiday in the future, get in touch and we

will make sure everything is fine. That is how we left it. A but

Margaret and Carl was soon to discover that Edwards Coaches's

apologies and promises of a personal services -- service were

little more than a gesture. Behind the scenes, they were planning not

to allow market and Carl to travel with them again. -- Margaret. Last

month, Margaret-Ann five friends decided to go and an -- on an

Edwards Coaches holiday -- shopping trip to Bath. We were saving up

every week. We decided that we would go on the trip. It would be

nice for a change. We were looking forward to it. But then Margaret

got a shocking call from Edwards Coaches. They told her they would

be refunding the �94 she had paid for the day out in Bath. And the

reason for the cancellation? In case the trip did not meet

Margaret's high standards. I just thought it was a joke. I went to

class on the Tuesday and they thought I was joking. It is totally

ridiculous. I was really upset, actually. To be treated like that,

it is just childish. It seems just ridiculous to think that after a

complaint, to say that you while blacklisted that you cannot go with

them any more, it is unbelievable. When you complain, you do not

expect to not be able to book some pink after it. It is absolutely

awful. You decided not to go on the trip. We were looking forward but

if Margaret cannot come to Bath, we decided not to go. We have had a

Edwards Coaches cake made. Margaret, you have made a special declaration

for it. That Kate is perfect. Edwards Coaches, banned. Well, it

seems Edwards Coaches aren't going to budge. They agree that Margaret

and Carl deserved compensation for their French holiday. But they say

they've banned the couple from travelling with them again because

their behaviour was unacceptable, because they incited other

passengers to complain. Well, we asked the couple about that. They

say they just told their friends what had happened to them. Now back

to our investigation into the way sunbed salons are operating. It's

time to find out how many stick to the law. It is 9 o'clock on

Saturday morning in the office. Karen and Ella are on a mission.

They are going undercover to find out if sunbed salons will put their

health risk to make a few quid. Earlier, they met a skin expert.

This was her advice. So under Nat a young age seems to be more

dangerous than sunburn when you Wilder. -- are older. I think if

they let you use a sunbed, they Under the laws, under 18 * banned

from tanning salons and salons must check ages. Out on the road with

their hidden cameras, the girls spot some tempting offers. But will

they check age? I am hoping to get But at least they asked for

identification. No questions at the And they were not the only ones.

Eight out of Cardiff's 12 salons were happy to let her on the sunbed.

Not actively checking it is a criminal offence. That is quite

worrying because it is a major safeguard that the user should be

over 18 years of age. They make sensible decisions. And just to

ignore that requirement I think is really, really poor. Two-thirds of

Cardiff's salons are committing a crime by letting in children. But

salons must also help customers access skin-tight. Let's put it to

the test. Beauty on the park near the city centre did not think Karen

was that fair. Skin-tight? What do Both these salons failed to spot

Karen's fair skin and they were not alone. These five salons did not

make any attempt to assess skin type. Again, that is a criminal

offence. They are required to assist the customer. This is not

paid any great picture of the industry. It is it a very poor

example. The more than half of Cardiff's salons either did not

check skin-tight all got it wrong. But the law also demands the advice

on the use of sunbeds. Karen has got fair skin and a dermatologist

advised her never to use a sunbed. But every salon in Cardiff offered

This salon offered both girls She would have been fried. She

would have come out as a lobster. What damage would that have done?

When you Byrne, that is a radiation damage to your skin. In at the

long-term, to have done that you have damaged DNA in your skin and

it is damage to DNA which has a risk of skin cancer. We went to

every tanning salon in Cardiff and they are either gave bad advice or

no advice at all. Eight out of 12 for happy to flout the law and let

a 14-year-old Tam. But there is worse to come. That was so easy. No

idea, no information. Later in the programme we uncover the coin-

operated salon. That is a really worrying report.

What did the salons have to say? Well, first of all Tan and Tone

refused to respond at all, and Chi Chi told us they would investigate

our allegations. At the other end of the spectrum, Supersun Tanning,

Sunglo and Gloden, who let Ella into one of their three salons, say

they normally maintain high standards and are retraining staff

as a result of our investigations. Those last two have disciplined

staff. A bit of a coincidence that they all had a lapse of standard on

that particular day we visited. These were all salons which let our

14-year-olds in. Did the rest have something to say about that. Well,

Tanners seemed furious that Ella had lied about her age and said

that if she had told them she was 14 they wouldn't have let her in.

That's hardly the point. OK, and what about the failure on skin type

checking? I've mentioned some of the salons already but Beauty in

the Park say they did their best to assess Karen's skin type and

complied fully with the law. even when they got the skin type

right the salons were given bad advice. Yes, Welsh Government

advice is that people with skin like Karen's shouldn't tan. But

some sunbed businesses disagree. In particular Sun Angels and Gloden,

which gave Karen eight and ten minutes, say their advice was right.

Thanks Rachel. And we've put more of those responses from those

companies on our website. Now for more than a year, tensions

have been running high here in Ebbw Vale. And this is the reason. The

Walk car park was taken over by a new company, Excel Parking Services

Ltd, last September and it wasn't long before furious drivers started

complaining to X-Ray. Before Excel Parking came to town, parking here

was easy. People were not charged but overstaying their welcome and

disabled that when people with disabled badges never paid. -- and

people with disabled badges never paid. There was no sign indicating

that disabled badges should pay as well. Later on we were told it was

on the machine. If you are disabled driver and you have never paint,

you would not think of going to the machine. Many blue badge holders

were caught out and dozens of other drivers told us they have been

unfairly charged as well. Excel Parking gave demands by post. Once

we got involved, Excel Parking put up more signs are waved much of the

charges. Excel Parking have told us they always stick to their industry

code of practice that the DVLA disagrees. They have ruled the

company signs were inaccurate and warned let them have any motorist

details for another three months until they have put things right.

Have things improved? Do you drive? Do you part here? I can see you

rolling eyes. I won't use it. The money is not going to the council.

It is going to a private firm. It is a small town and the money

should go to the council. You can drive around that car park and go

out and you'll get fined. That is just driving around. You go and get

your ticket and before you get to the car, they are there. I got

fined twice for parking there. I parked in the disability a not

realising that the put the new signs that. The DVLA has stopped

issuing details to the company of drivers' cars. What you think?

is the way to go, why should they? Why should they have access to

something that his personal? Excel Parking a making changes to their

signs that this is the third time the DVLA has banned the company

from accessing driver's details. Local campaigner John Rogers

welcomes the ban. I am absolutely delighted the DVLA has taken this

action. I am afraid I am not confident this will resolve the

situation completely. At least it is a start. While it is the parking

like way you live? Join the debate on Twitter. We have seen some

tannin Lalas -- tanning salons that are breaking the law.

Three years ago 14-year-old Kirsty was hospitalised at be getting

burnt at an unmanned coin operated tanning salon. I went into the shop,

there was no one there. I put Mammon the end and I went on a

sunbed. I realised I was wrecked when I got off. When I walked home

I started feeling ill. I was taken into casualty. Since then the Welsh

Government has introduced tough new laws to regulate tanning salons. An

manned salons like the one Kirsty used in Barry have been outlawed. I

were undercut by Dick -- investigations has shown girls get

into salons. Like this one. Other surveys have shown this is

happening across Wales. What shocked us most was just how far

tanning salons like this one in which it would go in breaking the

law. Another fair-skinned volunteer joined 14-year-old Ella for the

She is not interested in giving any adviser until we ask for it. What

about 14-year-old Ella? That was the worst case scenario,

taking a �10 and sitting there feeding the machine until you fry.

We contacted the salon but the owner was away. Nobody else was --

would explain their failings to us. It is no better this upmarket salon

Hang on. When did you supposed to give some health advice? -- went

That is certainly a breach of the criminal law. Legislation has

outlawed unmanned sunbeds. All we have is somebody saying it is

through here, follow me. There is no way that is supervised, there is

no advice, there is no verification of age, there is no way that member

of staff can be described as competent. Frankly, a business

operating like that is negligent. This salon has promised a full

investigation and they will take disciplinary action if necessary.

But they say their staff are not all his -- train to comply with the

laws. You're one of the bay campaigners in this legislation.

This is pretty getting. We have the tools and we have got used them. We

have to see enforcement of this law. Our volunteers visited every salon

we could find in Cardiff and then gave fair-skinned can and the

advice they should have. Most are even prepared to put the health of

children as young as 14 on the line. Even more staggering they are doing

it for as little as �3. Kirsty is now 18. At the age of 14 she was

badly burnt at an unmanned tiling - - tanning salon. Her mother became

a campaigner for the change in the law and Bell Kirsty has seen away

undercover footage. It is quite -- shocking. She did not give them any

information. There was information on the wall that people can ignore

that. What is to say it will never happen again? If you were caught

selling alcohol to a minor you have the rise has taken off you, so why

don't tanning shops get their licences taken of them? So what is

being done to enforce these laws? I'm here with two of the women

whose jobs it is to do just that. Sarah, it's your job to enforce the

rules which stop children using sunbeds. Are you shocked by our

findings? Yes, I am Lucy. Unfortunately it looks like the

non-compliance rate in relation to underage sales has actually

increased from your results from when we did it initially last year

after the law had recently come into being. So there is significant

cause for concern in what you have found. So will you now be taking

action? Yes, what I intend to do now following your results is

follow up with another complete line of test purchasing and then

consider more formal enforcement action including prosecution where

necessary. Bethan, your department enforces

the health part of these laws making sure that salons check skin

type and give the correct advice. They just don't seem to be doing

that do they. No, your results are very worrying.

The new legislation came into force last year. We did a lot of

inspections to all of these premises, giving people advice on

what they should be doing. We were happy at the end of it that they

were complying. Well, our findings are showing

something very different aren't they. How worrying is that for you

and are you going to take action? It's very alarming and of course we

will be taking action and we are very keen to see the information

you have. And then working out what action to take. Thank you both, and

we'll be giving you the full findings of our investigation. So

that's what Cardiff council are promising. Looks like some of those

salons could be getting a knock on the door in the near future. But

since our secret filming three companies have told us they are

making major changes. And that included Gloden who have branches

across south Wales. They will be retraining all their 130 staff.

Lets hope it makes a difference. Well that's it for this week, if

you've got anything to say about this week's programme, or if

there's anything you'd like us to investigate get in touch.

You can give us a call on 03703 334 334, or send us an email. Leave us

a daytime phone number so we can get in touch with you straightaway.