Inspector John Stribley said: “Racing on public road networks is an offence, and will result in us taking enforcement action.
“These activities can be conducted lawfully elsewhere, such as on private land, and we will not be tolerating the use of Hampshire’s roads for an illegal sporting event.
“We will deal with offences robustly, and take action wherever we have a power in law to do so.
“A Section 35 dispersal order has been authorised for the entirety of the weekend until 8am on Monday morning (December 20), and will be in place across the whole of the county.”It appears the police received information about a planned unauthorised horse and trap racing event and took action to prevent it. One tried his luck despite this, and the good Inspector kept his word.
And it's amazing what you find when you look, isn't it?
Meanwhile, the force's significant presence in the area saw officers clamp down on a number of other offences unrelated to the racing, including:
One driver issued a fixed penalty notice (FPN) for driving without due care and attention.
One driver issued an FPN for driving without a seatbelt
One vehicle seized and one driver reported for vehicle tax offences
One vehicle seized due to not being insured.
Two drivers spoken to for not having a valid MOT
Two drivers stopped for excessive tinted windows
One driver dealt with for dangerous trailer offences
If only Essex Police were similarly pro-active...
H/T: i.r. jackson via email
That's only Part 1.
ReplyDeleteIn Part 2, will any fines actually be paid ?(No) Will any non-payment result in further sanctions? (No) Will any of the offenders actually give a toss? (No) Will it change anything? (No)
Just a lot of futile paperwork will fly around and some passing fake PR for the local Plod, but the lawless pikeys will continue to be lawless pikeys for as long as they are allowed to be.
Yay! For once they aren't above the laws which apply to the rest of us "'cos it's there culcher, innit". The excellent inspector will probably now be shunted off to some gyppo-free manor where he can no longer defy the orders from above.
ReplyDeleteI must be dreaming.
ReplyDeleteI will wake up and Dick will still be there.
And Pritti And the rainbow coloured granny bashers.
I live in hope that Lycra-clad cyclists will also come under the ban.
ReplyDeleteProbably not because you see, the statement "Racing on public road networks is an offence..." is incorrect. Properly organised races and time trials done with the permission of the relevant authorities are not illegal.
DeleteUnless the law has changed there is a power of arrest under S. 25 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act if the name and address cannot be ascertained, or the service of a summons is impractical. I would like to meet the person who has successfully served a summons on a traveller, and would recommend that person for for a major honour.
ReplyDeleteSeize the carriage and only return it on proof of ownership; sell the horse to a glue factory - a quick death being preferable to a life of abuse and being discarded on a roundabout somewhere, as is their wont.
Penseivat
Random cervical smears for scantily dressed clubbers...you can rely on Metplod to come up with a novel strategy for dealing with the boy racer menace; so far netting more than a dozen Ann Summers shoplifters and one tv licence dodger.
ReplyDelete"That's only Part 1.
ReplyDeleteIn Part 2, will any fines actually be paid ?"
Don't demolish all my illusions!
"The excellent inspector will probably now be shunted off to some gyppo-free manor where he can no longer defy the orders from above."
Or will discover that a WPC has something to accuse him of, perchance?
"Properly organised races and time trials done with the permission of the relevant authorities are not illegal."
But these clearly aren't.
"Seize the carriage and only return it on proof of ownership; sell the horse to a glue factory - a quick death being preferable to a life of abuse and being discarded on a roundabout somewhere, as is their wont."
Yes, good point.