Notice of Intended Prosecution - Cloned plates?

[ezrgoode]

Hi guys, hoping you may be able to give me some advice on how to proceed with the following.

I got home form work today and had received a NIP from West Yorkshire police regarding a speeding offence in Leeds last Thursday (22nd May). It gives my car registration and the road the offence was committed in, there is however one slight problem. I live in Essex and was at work at the time (10.36am) - I have never been to Leeds in my life.

The phone number on the letter put you through to a recorded message as they only work until 16.30 on Friday and I am unable to contact anyone now until Monday. I have spoken to Essex police about this as I am concerned my number plates may have been cloned and they have given me an incident number.

I am hoping they may have taken the registration down incorrectly or even have a different make and/or model of vehicle in the photographic evidence (photo was not provided by them). If it is not this straightforward does anyone know what would be the best route for me to take, I can prove I was at work on the day in question??

Thanks in advance for any help and advice you may be able to give me.

Ezr

[LAW_DROP-OUT]

you are entitled , as a point of law, on request to , see a "PHOTO" of the vehicle , that was "speeding " , in Leeds , there maybe a charge, for this , for them , to supply a photo , the photo hopefully , is "large" enough , to show the vehicle , which shouldnt be yours .... (of course if your car reg., has been cloned , it maybe advisable to contact , your insurers to see if there is an "insurance policy " ...... for another vehicle ,. with your duplicated "registration number " .... of course it could be an error , read , from the camera also .... not a "cloining " situation

[Ethel]

Some basic advice here:

http://tinyurl.com/2veyj6

Although it seems to me you have already thought of all the things you should do.

It would take at least 4 hours to drive from Essex to Yorkshire - did anybody see your car in Essex between 6.30 am and 14.30pm?

[Hymie]

I suffered exactly the same problem some years ago. I was somewhat concerned that my car had been cloned, but doubted this, as it was quite old at the time.

The form sent had only boxes to tick, either admitting the offence, or to advise of who was driving the vehicle at the time, or that I no longer owned the vehicle.
Nowhere on the form sent, was a box to tick indicate that the Chief Police officer of the relevant police force (who signed the letter) is a complete W@nker who could not correctly read a car registration plate from a photograph.

The police force concerned were totally incompetent and it took a large number of abusive letters to the t0ssers, before they finally admitted they were wrong. No apology was ever forthcoming.

The way it works is that someone has the exciting job of typing out registration numbers from a series of photos (cars caught on camera, speeding), these details are sent to DVLA to request the owners details etc to send out the fine. No check is made that the vehicle make, model & colour, matches that in the photo � hence your problem.

[Ethel]

Hymie - the age of your car is irrelevant to cloners and I would suspect that the older the better in many cases.

Buy an old banger that has failed the mot, clone it with a car of the same age, make, model and away you go.

[NORMANTHEDOG]

you might be able to view the photo on their website.

[Hymie]

To my mind, there are two mains reasons to clone a car; one is in order to sell a stolen car, clearly this is only worth doing if the car is worth something.

The other main reason is to avoid motoring penalty charges and/or commit other criminal activity.

In my case, speeding at 38mph in a 30mph zone seemed an unlikely offence for someone who had cloned my car � during the long period of correspondence with the police (made longer than necessary, since they took to not replying to my letters), no further offences were notified involving my car.

My advice to Ezr is to request a copy of the photographic evidence, which will undoubtedly show a car with a different registration number, make, model and colour (other than these details, his car will be almost identical to that in the photograph provided by the police).

[Hymie]

In reality, UK speed cameras are nothing more that part of the country�s tax revenue system.
Unfortunately, for whatever reason, the system has generated your cars registration (National Insurance) details in error, and is demanding that the due tax be paid.

My advice is to keep all correspondence with the authorities in writing (and keep copies). You might think your are dealing with Yorkshire police, but in reality it will be a tax collecting operation, and as you will discover - their computer system does not have a button marked �We�ve f*ucked up yet again, cancel the tax demand�

[ezrgoode]

Thanks for your replies.
Ethel - my mum actually dropped me of at work and then took my car home on the day in question which was about 8.30 in the morning.

I know some police forces have websites where you can view the photographic evidence, unfortunately West Yorkshire isn't one of these. Some other info I have read about this states that if you want to see photographic evidence you have to plead not guilty to the offence and it will end up going to court. I will then have the inconvenience of having to take time off from work and the cost of travelling to Leeds.

Thanks again for your replies, I'll keep you posted when I have spoken to the bureau tomorrow morning.

[ezrgoode]

Well looks like Hymie was spot on, it's obviously really difficult reading 7 digits on a screen!!
Yes, they had written down the incorrect registration number - I did however get a verbal apology and was informed i would be getting a letter stating the same.

Thanks again for your replies.

[Hymie]

It isn�t rocket science to check that the vehicle details supplied by DVLA of make, model and colour match that of the vehicle in the photograph �
but clearly this is beyond those operating this tax gathering operation, thereby p!ssing off people whenever they f*ck-up.