Rogue trader — or simply persecuted?

A NEW book details the life of Oldham’s controversial kitchen boss.

Richard Hooton studies John Newton’s tome “Vance Miller — Kitchen Gangster?” in the aftermath of his bungled fraud trial.

VANCE Miller divides opinion. A scan of reader comments on the Chronicle’s website reveals how he is loved and loathed equally.

Some see him as a rough diamond railing against persecuting authorities, others as a shameless thug selling substandard goods.

John Newton’s book aims to delve past the rumours to uncover the truth.

But it’s not a biography. It’s a series of meetings with the colourful character which cover his career chronologically, backed up with interviews from those involved.

Written largely in the words of the interviewees, it has a simple, engaging style that makes it fast-paced, readable and enjoyable.

It follows Mr Miller’s life from naïve young lad selling stolen goods to building up his kitchen empire in Hathershaw, and ends with the infamous court case.

It gets off to a rip-roaring start — who wouldn’t want to read a chapter entitled “The American Diamond Caper?”

Mr Miller is anything but dull and has led an astonishing life, surviving being shot among numerous escapades.

His story reads like the script of a Coen brothers’ farce. At times Mr Miller cleverly runs rings round the authorities, but also admits stupidity, repeating mistakes to end back behind bars and falling for scams without even realising.

A crucial part of the book is the fraud trial, a well-publicised disaster that will make uncomfortable reading for Oldham Council.

A raid by 130 police and trading standards was massively disproportionate. It’s difficult not to form the impression the only purpose was to put him out of business.

And it seems the authorities were not reliable with information they gave during press conferences, with inaccurate details of firearms being found and complaint figures.

Trading Standards said the firm was receiving 60 to 100 complaints a week. Reporters, not unreasonably, calculated this at between 3,000 and 5,000 a year.

Trading Standards now say they were quoting figures just in the weeks up to the raid, but this seems disingenuous.

Mr Newton used the Freedom of Information Act to obtain complaint figures in Oldham that show there were 1,853 complaints between April, 2006 and March, 2007, though this is the period affected by the raid, when complaints will have soared.

Between April, 2005, and March, 2006, there were only 73 complaints.

Complaints from outside Oldham are dismissed as negligible. But the national figures Mr Newton obtained are from Consumer Direct and this was only created in 2004 in some areas, going nationwide in 2006. Customers may have complained directly to their local Trading Standard department.

What’s not in doubt is that trial judge Jonathan Foster QC was unimpressed that the reason given for the raid was an increase in complaints when figures presented to him showed they were reasonably steady.

The media is criticised throughout the book. It states he’s “been pilloried in the media as a rogue trader, kidnapper, diamond and gold smuggler.”

But he fully admits these crimes and they are unlikely to earn him praise. He admits selling rip-off rubbish when starting out in the kitchen industry — though insists that is all in the past.

And if you’re going to portray yourself as the “self-styled kitchen gangster” then can you really complain when that sticks?

Just as Gerald Ratner’s comment that his goods were “crap” was the worst business decision ever, Mr Miller has found it impossible to shake off a bad reputation for which he must surely take some responsibility.

It’s fact that Mr Miller became the first UK trader to be handed a “Stop Now” court order to cease supplying substandard goods in 2002, was jailed a year later for flouting the ban 13 times, received a suspended six-month sentence later for breaching it again and was banned in 2005 from running a business for nine years — which he has got around by putting the firm in someone else’s name.

The book captures his complex character. A hard-working and brilliant entrepreneur who has acquired forests, granite quarries and factories across China. Whatever setback he suffers, he always bounces back.

Is he honest? — well, to the point where he admits lying. And the problem is it remains difficult to know where the truth lies.

One anecdote from his right-hand man to demonstrate victimisation by the authorities claims that in 2007 Mr Miller was arrested and beaten by police in Rochdale for holding a fundraiser to help free Stefan Kiszko, who was wrongly imprisoned for the rape and murder of schoolgirl Lesley Molseed.

But Mr Kiszko was released in 1992 and died a few months later, so they’re 15 years too late. The anecdote is clearly nonsense.

And there are other inconsistencies and omissions. While there are comments from a potential customer who admires Mr Miller — but never actually bought anything from him — there are no interviews with people who’ve complained or nearby residents angry about disturbances.

There’s no mention of kidnapping or assault claims or arson attacks on his homes.

The book claims the authorities want to drive him out of business to acquire his mill for a major private development — but no evidence is given for this.

BBC’s “Rogue Traders” and the Chronicle continue to get calls from dissatisfied customers. Could a reliable businessman not create a customer service department able to resolve problems?

The authorities rightly come out of this book badly. But what’s frustrating is that if Mr Miller learned the error of his ways there could be a happy ending of him building a reputable firm. Only time will tell.