So zealous

The Daily Mail reports that hardly had the new driver-check cameras been installed than two separate police forces had to drop prosecutions because these had been based on unclear camera-readings of number plates! This resulted in a housewife being sent a summons for red-light jumping in Nottingham at a time when she was shopping in Basingstoke, and a motorist in Amlwch on the Anglesey coast being accused of the same offence in Manchester, when in fact he was conducting a religious service at Amlwch.

The AA successfully got both cases dismissed, saving the drivers involved expensive journeys to plead not guilty at courts. The police proved to be just too zealous in charging innocent vehicle drivers…

Note, too, that as with parking convictions, “camera-proved” prosecutions go to the registered owner or keeper of the vehicle photographed, who unless he can inform the police of who was driving it at the time, if he was not doing so, has himself to pay the penalty. Very difficult for car-hire companies, and many others, whose cars are used by many different drivers!