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5:01pm Tuesday 20th May 2008
THREE police workers face a disciplinary hearing after drivers were wrongly hit with speeding fines totalling £35,000.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) announced the action against a trio of Blackburn-based employees after an eight-month probe concluded there were "clear concerns" over their conduct.
The investigation was launched in October after it was revealed 545 speeding convictions were unsafe.
It meant fines totalling £35,000 were repaid, 1,500 penalty points were taken back off licences, and 2,115 tickets were torn up.
East Lancashire MPs have joined a motoring group in questioning wheth-er the findings would make motorists become even more disillusioned' with speed cameras.
However, the county's police auth-ority and Lancashire Partnership for Road Safety bosses have defended the scheme.
Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans said: "People want the certainty that speed cameras are being used properly. The last thing people want to think is that they are getting tickets after passing speed cameras at the right speed.
"The police need to ensure that these things do not happen again."
Hyndburn MP Greg Pope added: "I am sceptical about speed cameras and I think most motorists are. To maintain public confidence in them, we have to be completely sure that they are accurate and a lot of people don't think that."
The IPCC probe looked into the conduct of five workers, all based at Lancashire police's central process unit in Blackburn. Bosses said one of the five was responsible for operating a mobile camera based in Blackpool and Penwortham, near Preston. The other four staff processed paperwork to be handed to courts, they said.
Two of the four administration employees were cleared of any wrongdoing, but the other two and the camera operator must face a police disciplinary hearing, where they could be sacked, bosses said.
Lancashire Constabulary has refused to comment until the hearing, expected to take place next month, is complete. Lancashire Police Authority chairman, Coun Malcolm Doherty, who also sits on Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: "I think what people should know is that the problems that occurred have now been properly dealt with. People's confid-ence in speed cameras should be remedied by that."
John Davies, manager of the Lancashire Partnership for Road Safety, which operates the county's speed cameras, said: "The cameras work perfectly well and we will continue to use them."
Naseem Malik, the North West's IPCC commissioner, said: "Once the discip-linary panels have been held, the IPCC will issue further details about the findings of the investigations."
yimitier, lancashire says...
6:04pm Wed 21 May 08
Me wrote:How do you know that you've been caught speeding if the cameras are being fiddled?
yimitier wrote:Or maybe accept responsibility for your actions and take what\'s coming to you. If a speeding driver kills someone, God forbid a member of your family, would you be so quick to encourage them to get away with it? I guess (or at least hope) not! Sounds like you\'ve had plenty of experience getting off with speeding, if so, you need some re-training, you\'re probably not as good a driver as you think.
Capt.Dobey wrote: \\\"the second investigated allegations staff had not processed paperwork properly\\\" I think you will find this means certain summons were never issued to friends/family in the community.....Couldn\'t agree more! There\'s a system been operating out of blackburn CTO for years that allows tickets to be cancelled without points!! Always request a photograph and you will be sent ANOTHER section 172 statement with a different date from the NIP! Keep up the correspondence with the CTO manager(He likes to write letters!!) and you should either run out of time or get a NFA letter!!) It works!
yimitier, lancashire says...
5:52pm Wed 21 May 08
Me, Blackburn says...
5:52pm Wed 21 May 08
yimitier wrote:Or maybe accept responsibility for your actions and take what's coming to you. If a speeding driver kills someone, God forbid a member of your family, would you be so quick to encourage them to get away with it? I guess (or at least hope) not! Sounds like you've had plenty of experience getting off with speeding, if so, you need some re-training, you're probably not as good a driver as you think.
Capt.Dobey wrote: \"the second investigated allegations staff had not processed paperwork properly\" I think you will find this means certain summons were never issued to friends/family in the community.....Couldn't agree more! There's a system been operating out of blackburn CTO for years that allows tickets to be cancelled without points!! Always request a photograph and you will be sent ANOTHER section 172 statement with a different date from the NIP! Keep up the correspondence with the CTO manager(He likes to write letters!!) and you should either run out of time or get a NFA letter!!) It works!
yimitier, lancashire says...
5:39pm Wed 21 May 08
Capt.Dobey wrote:Couldn't agree more! There's a system been operating out of blackburn CTO for years that allows tickets to be cancelled without points!! Always request a photograph and you will be sent ANOTHER section 172 statement with a different date from the NIP! Keep up the correspondence with the CTO manager(He likes to write letters!!) and you should either run out of time or get a NFA letter!!) It works!
\"the second investigated allegations staff had not processed paperwork properly\"
I think you will find this means certain summons were never issued to friends/family in the community.....
yimitier, lancashire says...
4:54pm Wed 21 May 08
bob, Walker Park, Guide says...
11:16am Wed 21 May 08
floradora, lancashire says...
7:48am Wed 21 May 08
Dave wrote:The fact that maladministration has caused 500 odd people to be criminalised seems not to matter to the supporters of the ineffectual speed camera system. All will have had their insurance costs increased, maybe lost their licence/jobs etc etc
Millie S, how ill informed you are. There are a number of flaws in your argument. Check the Lancashire Partnership For Road Safety website, it's full of the information you claim isn't advertised, including where they're going to be for the following week, for the whole county. It also points out at what speed you'll get a caution, fixed penalty or summons. As for being a revenue raising ploy, why don't we all get one back on them, AND SLOW DOWN, my, that will teach them to try & get money out of us. Your analogy with the knife is laughable. You also mentioned dangerous roads, no such thing, only dangerous drivers. It's a sad reflection on us all that the only way we can get people to recognise such a serious issue as road safety is to hit them in the pocket.
Sanz, you're a plank & I hope you lose your licence.
paul, says...
2:30am Wed 21 May 08
T.Earby wrote:its tesco you empty head
removals R me wrote:And by doing that you run the risk of being locked up for Obstructing a Police Officer in the Execution of his/her Duty
i carry a sign painted on a piece of board sayin SPEED TRAP. when im out and i see one i stop down the road and leave it against a lamp post, as asda says, every little helps!
T.Earby, says...
11:25pm Tue 20 May 08
removals R me wrote:And by doing that you run the risk of being locked up for Obstructing a Police Officer in the Execution of his/her Duty
i carry a sign painted on a piece of board sayin SPEED TRAP. when im out and i see one i stop down the road and leave it against a lamp post, as asda says, every little helps!
removals R me, my front room says...
5:48pm Tue 20 May 08
Bob, Blackburn says...
5:35pm Tue 20 May 08
Lord Lucan wrote:sorry to disappoint you but they're not all run by civilians at all. sure that if you look more closely when driving around the streets of Blackburn you'll see exactly who is doing what!
bob ...
all the cameras - fixed and ones in vans/bikes - are staffed by civilians.
Occasionally you will see traffic officers who are police using the handheld ones but that is very rare these days.
Ash, here says...
4:40pm Tue 20 May 08
Sanz wrote:point is you fool, you broke the speed limit and you where caught....??????? how the hell can you compain for being caught breaking the law?? 'serious' crime or not?! tool.
Easy Pickings! cop fund boosting, i\'ve been \'had\' twice at 35mph, on empty/quiet road at 10am, nice sunny spot on Revidge for them to prey on us. So much major crime committed whilst our cops sunbathe and boost the benevolent fund. get out there and catch real criminals.
GABBY, ACCY says...
4:16pm Tue 20 May 08
Dave, Blackburn says...
3:56pm Tue 20 May 08
billy burglar, N/W uk says...
3:39pm Tue 20 May 08
T.Salad, Bolton says...
3:15pm Tue 20 May 08
Sanz wrote:You've missed the point, you tosser! The cameras are run by civilians NOT police officers. As for you being 'had', who's fault is that?? Try taking your right foot off the pedal in your 'pimped out corsa'. Fool!
Easy Pickings! cop fund boosting, i've been 'had' twice at 35mph, on empty/quiet road at 10am, nice sunny spot on Revidge for them to prey on us. So much major crime committed whilst our cops sunbathe and boost the benevolent fund. get out there and catch real criminals.
Sanz, Revidge says...
2:07pm Tue 20 May 08
Milllie S, Burnley says...
2:03pm Tue 20 May 08
pendle person, pendle says...
1:16pm Tue 20 May 08
Confused In Preston, Preston says...
12:46pm Tue 20 May 08
Capt.Dobey, LA says...
12:18pm Tue 20 May 08
Lord Lucan, Hiding says...
12:16pm Tue 20 May 08
bob, Blackburn says...
11:21am Tue 20 May 08
floradora, lancashire says...
10:55am Tue 20 May 08
KS, Blackburn says...
10:45am Tue 20 May 08
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Me, Blackburn says...
2:51pm Thu 22 May 08