private land and the police?
private land and the police?
Author
Discussion

Lois

Original Poster:

14,706 posts

282 months

Sunday 5th March 2006
quotequote all
A friend of mine and his mate were on some iced over private land the other evening. They were "learning to control the car on ice" () however someone phoned the police who have now said that each of them has to pay a £300 fine - £250 of that being a callout fee and £50 for the driving.

Just wondering what the legalities of this are seeing as it was on private land and whether the "learning to control the car" thing will work The police never actually saw them doing anything as they were just leaving the area when they turned up.

turbobloke

117,280 posts

290 months

Sunday 5th March 2006
quotequote all
Strange thing that call-out fee / fine, as for the driving I think it depends on whether the public has regular access, like a car park or driveway into a supermarket, where BiB can enforce elements of the RTA. If it was totally private land can't see what interest the BiB would have unless the land owner made a complaint - was it them?

Lois

Original Poster:

14,706 posts

282 months

Sunday 5th March 2006
quotequote all
It was the back of a carpark well out of the way of anyone else and late at night. Nothing to do with the store managers but apparently a customer (with nothing better to do!)

turbobloke

117,280 posts

290 months

Sunday 5th March 2006
quotequote all
Ah, shop car park - could well be fair game for the driving stuff then, PH BiB will be along soon nad they can size it up.

Still can't quite get that call-out fine or fee.

GreenV8S

31,024 posts

314 months

Sunday 5th March 2006
quotequote all
Don't see how the police can bill them, unless this is a fixed penalty offer as an alternative to prosecution. If so, what are they being charged with and what is the evidence?

Dwight VanDriver

6,583 posts

274 months

Sunday 5th March 2006
quotequote all
Lot depends if land was private or public. Could be at that time of night after SM closed and public no longer admitted could be private and maybe Plod warned regarding S59 Police Reform Act 2002 - using motor vehicle in a manner likely to cause alarm,.distress or annoyance (complaint mentioned)when driver would be warned if caught again vehicle confiscated and heafty fee payable for recovery from police pound.

dvd

Chris D

122 posts

247 months

Sunday 5th March 2006
quotequote all
anonymous said:
[redacted]


Lois, need more info on this! There is no such thing as a call-out fee. You also said the Police didn't witness anything. From what I can gather, it was in store car park. Is that right? Still public place if access is there - regardless of time of day. In the absence of other info, it's a LOB!!

AL666

2,679 posts

248 months

Sunday 5th March 2006
quotequote all
I was under the impression that in a Supermarket car park the rules basically didn't apply for driving as it's private property, which is why parents take their kids there to learn to drive without having insurance... :S

Piglet

6,250 posts

285 months

Sunday 5th March 2006
quotequote all
AL666 said:
I was under the impression that in a Supermarket car park the rules basically didn't apply for driving as it's private property, which is why parents take their kids there to learn to drive without having insurance... :S


From memory the Road Traffic Act applies to public roads and to "areas normally accessible to the public" ie shop car parks, driveways etc.

Not sure about the call out charge bit though.

mybrainhurts

90,809 posts

285 months

Sunday 5th March 2006
quotequote all
As DVD said, it sounds like a warning....do it again and your car will be confiscated, with a fee ('callout charge') to get it back.

I guess the victim misunderstood the lecture....

>> Edited by mybrainhurts on Sunday 5th March 18:02

Muncher

12,235 posts

279 months

Sunday 5th March 2006
quotequote all
Yeah, something doesn't sound quite right about that.

Lois

Original Poster:

14,706 posts

282 months

Sunday 5th March 2006
quotequote all
Chris D said:
anonymous said:
[redacted]


Lois, need more info on this! There is no such thing as a call-out fee. You also said the Police didn't witness anything. From what I can gather, it was in store car park. Is that right? Still public place if access is there - regardless of time of day. In the absence of other info, it's a LOB!!


Yes it was a store car park. Someone said it was on CCTV however I am unsure of whether the cameras reach to that part of the car park. He also mentioned the police coming tomorrow evening to take statements.

Chris D

122 posts

247 months

Sunday 5th March 2006
quotequote all
anonymous said:
[redacted]


To take a statement off your mate?! Interesting? Give us an update after tomorrow evening.

Lois

Original Poster:

14,706 posts

282 months

Sunday 5th March 2006
quotequote all
yeah off him. All sounds a bit weird to me.

wolf1

3,100 posts

280 months

Sunday 5th March 2006
quotequote all
Now let me recap!

A car park with public access which was not owned by either of you.
Late at Night.
Driving in a manner only normally seen at max power cruises

I can see the point of being pee'd off being caught with your pants down so to speak but were you that surprised to have your wrists slapped?

mybrainhurts

90,809 posts

285 months

Sunday 5th March 2006
quotequote all
Interesting point that...

Would you apply the same to a regular autotest competitor honing his skills...?

Lois

Original Poster:

14,706 posts

282 months

Sunday 5th March 2006
quotequote all
wolf1 said:
Now let me recap!

A car park with public access which was not owned by either of you.
Late at Night.
Driving in a manner only normally seen at max power cruises

I can see the point of being pee'd off being caught with your pants down so to speak but were you that surprised to have your wrists slapped?


lol it wasn't me

wolf1

3,100 posts

280 months

Sunday 5th March 2006
quotequote all
Why not! I race supermoto but never ride it anywhere other than on a track. Even to the point of hiring a venue mid week to be able to do this.
If the land is a public accessed car park then the driver knows the risk they are taking and must accept the slapped wrist once handed out. I would call it a character building exercise and notch it up to a lesson learned in wrong place wrong time.

matchless

1,105 posts

252 months

Monday 6th March 2006
quotequote all
you cant be fined without first going to Court and having a chance to put your side of the story to the jury, then if found guilty you are charged and fined etc, any other way is not English Law, simple as really

gone

6,649 posts

293 months

Monday 6th March 2006
quotequote all
Most Road Traffic offences in relation to driving can be committed in public places as well as roads. There is a lot of case law surrounding what a puiblic place is. Car parks at night belonging to retial parks and privately owned come within the remit of public places.

That covers offences like dangerous and Careless/Inconsiderate driving and drink driving. It also covers Section 59 offences when the vehicle is used in an antisocial manner.

>> Edited by gone on Monday 6th March 00:10