Alleged Stansted FPN

Herts_J

I have just received a Notice to Owner from Essex Police dated 20.7.12 in relation to a FPN for a 'No Waiting' parking offence on 27.3.12 at 1510 at North Terminal Road. My vehicle was aparrantly 'observed' at the location. This is the first notification I have received and it states that I have 'not requested a court hearing' so a £15 increase will be added to the £30 fine. I have no knowledge of this parking offence as I had no reason to be at Stansted Airport on that date in my vehicle and my diary shows me elsewhere and working from home. I am puzzled, as to what to do here - if I request a court hearing I will lose a day's pay as I am self employed. Any ideas?

The_Slithy_Tove

Looks like you may be the other end of the "I got a ticket, but they wrote the registration number down wrong" stories. That is someone has erroneously written down your number (or ANPR got it wrong). (Your number could have been cloned, but it's less likely.)

Not sure exactly where you are in the process, but you'll need to contact Essex Police, and see if you can extract any photographic and other evidence from them (e.g. notes from whoever did the observation). What exactly does the NtO say you should do? You're probably a little way from court yet, so this may be able to be stopped sooner. Please scan and post the NtO (front and back) with your details removed.

When all the facts are known,

muckybutt

I suggest in the first instance you get in touch with the ticket office at Essex Police and try to clear it up with them.

Failing that if they dont cancel after you have shown to them you were elsewhere then it looks certain you'll have an outing to magistraits court. If it goes that way providing you can show evidence you and the car in question were indeed elsewhere by means of witness statements - reciepts etc then the magistrait will quash the ticket.

You also need to report it to the Police as a possible cloned plate.

taffy056

I would also post this on https://www.pepipoo.com as well, they may have other advice that may help

peter_the_piper

I'm just curious, do the police send NTO's out regarding FPN's? I always thought it was FPN-Court.

Rover_Driver

It is up to the person receiving the FPN to request a court hearing.
If FPNs are not paid and there is no request for a court hearing, the penalty is increased by 50% and enforced as if it was a court fine.

Herts_J

After several letters and Police claims that the photographic evidence was not avaialable, this has finally been resolved and the Police admitted that they had entered the incorrect registration number into the computer from the ticket and they have now cancelled it......Unbelieveable! I was asked to provide my mobile phone bill for the date, which I refused. Was this some type of 'cell site analysis' to see where I was on the day? If so is that legal?

The_Slithy_Tove

Good to hear you got it sorted in the end. The trouble with the police is that they hate to lose face, so to get them to admit that they are fallible at times, and can get it wrong, is a major achievement.