Locking in!!

[itsmefolks]

My local reservoir, which is now owned by United Utilities, has a car park, which is used by walkers. This car park has been there, to my knowledge for at least 45 years! In the last 6 months United Utilities have erected a sign saying "These gates will be locked at 5.30 pm. Any car in the car park after that time shall remain there until the following morning." Can anyone tell me the legality of locking someone in??
The reservoir is miles from anywhere, and I wonder where Utilities would stand if, for example locked in a mother and pram and no phone scenario!!!

[bednobs]

i would imagine that if it is their land, they can d whatever they ike and it's up to people to see the signs and make sure they don't get locked in with a pram without a phone
however am not a law person, it just seems like common sense

[itsmefolks]

Thanks for that.
However I was really looking for the legal side of it, rather than "common sence" As we know they dont always go hand in hand do they??

[another-view]

It's private land. Yes they can do what they like with it. They are merely being kind by letting you park there and have no legal obligation to do so. There are adequate warnings that the facilty will close.

[redcrx]

if they own the land they can do it.
we had an industrial estate once that had a gate across the entrance.

Gypsies got on one night and didnt like the fact that they got locked in. They actually called the police and said that if we continued to lock the gate they would call the police every night as they said they had to get out in emergencies.

they didnt take too kindly to being told to get off the land and they wouldnt be locked in.

The police didnt want to know when the gypsies demanded their own key (haha as if) so to compromise we gave the police a key and told them they could unlock it in case of emergency.

[itsmefolks]

Very interesting comments. Thank you.

I do however, still question the legality of the situation when one considers that the area in concern, the said car park, is miles from anywhere!

Entrapment Law states that �if someone confines a person to physical or intangible boundaries, such as a room, their current physical space, or even a larger area like a city or state. This is considered to be false imprisonment. A person must lack a reasonable means to safely escape the confinement.� Lady pram and no phone miles from home scenario!!!

Comments much appreciated.

[bednobs]

unuted utilities have not asked a person to park their car on their land/ Surelt they are not lacking the means for escape - they could just duck under the barrier. If i was unted utillities i would most probably just lock it all the time to prevent such scenarios or else just put up a sign saying "parking prohibited"!

[itsmefolks]

Wrong Answer Bednobs! Please dont stand for Prime Minister will you?