Suprasteve Posted April 3, 2009 Share Posted April 3, 2009 Hi people, Just after some opinions please. I work in a town centre where parking is almost impossible (like most town centres these days). My colleagues and I have been parking in the same place for almost a year without an issue, there are always empty spaces for more cars if necessary and it is not causing a nuisance to anyone but recently we have been targeted by the police. The road we park down is a private road that provides access to aprox 20 houses in a cul de sac, the road runs behind a police station and is (supposedly) owned by the police. - This is questionable as the 20 odd houses were originally police houses but have been sold off to private owners. Anyways, a few weeks ago i got my first letter under my window wiper written on blank paper (without signature) stating this is a private road and only to be used by police staff. Then later on similar letters but on police letter headed paper, then more signed (but pp'd) by the chief commander at a head office in a different town. We called their head office to discuss with the commander but he was unavailable to comment, however the desk sergeant did confirm they were unaware of the letters and said the road was not owned by the police !? The letters have progressed, they now state that our cars are a terrorist threat and may be removed ! Now one of my colleagues has received a letter sent to his home (must have got his address from the DVLA?) stating his car is blocking the access to utilities vehicles? - this is complete rubbish as if thats the case then nobody should be allowed to park there INCLUDING the civilian police staff ?!??! but theres loads of room to get passed, I’ve seen rubbish collection lorries go down then no problem. There are no signposts, no gates, no yellow lines to say we can't park there. There is so much inconsistency with their letters and reasons we believe they are just using their authority to scare people off parking there in order to acquire the spaces for their own staff. Your opinions please... Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supra_si Posted April 3, 2009 Share Posted April 3, 2009 Sounds like a prankster. Very annoying though. id make sure you get a police statement saying it is not private proprty just incase you get towed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dangerous brain Posted April 3, 2009 Share Posted April 3, 2009 Somebody is pulling a fast one and unless there are any clear and legal signs then that person is properly in the do-do for using official police headed paper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaz Walker Posted April 3, 2009 Share Posted April 3, 2009 Nice bullying techniques from the Police there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted April 3, 2009 Share Posted April 3, 2009 Me and Char had a similar incident years back when we lived in Pompey. Char had bought a car from my sister with no tax on it (naughty, yes! it had just expired). We brought it back on the Sunday and were buying the tax on the Monday.. within a couple of hours an anonymous note was left on the windscreen to the effect of the 'local residents committee' had reported us to the tax office and the Police and the car would be seized and crushed within 24 hours. It turned out to be a local shop owner - I went in to see him after we'd seen him on the phone, on the pavement outside his shop pointing at the car and reading the reg number. He didn't bother us after that. It also turned out that he was the local nutter who had put similarly threatening and 'official' notes on my bin bags one day when I'd put them out a day early once, after a bank holiday. This world is full of nutters... look at this place!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevie_b Posted April 3, 2009 Share Posted April 3, 2009 Ask to speak to someone about it at the police station. Don't trust any random phone number that might be on the letter. If it's genuine, they should give you a polite explanation, if not it's pretty naughty, and the coppers might be interested in tracing who left them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted April 3, 2009 Share Posted April 3, 2009 Ask to speak to someone about it at the police station. Don't trust any random phone number that might be on the letter. If it's genuine, they should give you a polite explanation, if not it's pretty naughty, and the coppers might be interested in tracing who left them. Sounds like whoever is doing it is 'impersonating a Police Officer' anyway, which is obviously a crime in itself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suprasteve Posted April 3, 2009 Author Share Posted April 3, 2009 Sounds like whoever is doing it is 'impersonating a Police Officer' anyway, which is obviously a crime in itself. thats what we thought too. We have tried contacting the local station as well but get transferred from pillar to post - you know how it is. When finally get through to someone we asked for their warrent number (for our records) but they refused to give it out and actually hung up the phone. We also went into the station to speak face to face but again was told there is nobody about to talk to us. I have the upmost respect for the police and if it is explained to me exactly why it is illegal to park there then i will stop parking there but at the moment i feel that (as you have all said) it appears that someone/people are acting outside the law to get their own way. I'll keep you posted... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbourner Posted April 3, 2009 Share Posted April 3, 2009 Take pictures of the street as it is to prove there are no signs, the worst case is they arrange for a clamping company to set up there, and they put up signs and clamp you all in one go - you'll be in trouble then especially if it was set up by officers. Otherwise you could write to the chief and ask for confirmation? Say there are no signs explaining restrictions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dandan Posted April 3, 2009 Share Posted April 3, 2009 Write letters to the local branch ASAP and send them by recorded post, perhaps include photographs as well. Cover yourself as much as possbile in writing if you really want to try to keep parking there and not get caught out by some same day clamping scheme. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kranz Posted April 3, 2009 Share Posted April 3, 2009 Keep the letters, handle them as little as possible and take them to the local nick (next to the road). Let them look into ot. i doubt they would be too pleased to have someone pretending to be them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dangerous brain Posted April 3, 2009 Share Posted April 3, 2009 Police complaint commision if you get no joy from your local office. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay_NW Posted April 3, 2009 Share Posted April 3, 2009 Ask here mate, worth a try http://www.ukpoliceonline.co.uk/index.php Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mas Posted April 3, 2009 Share Posted April 3, 2009 There are no signposts, no gates, no yellow lines to say we can't park there. There is so much inconsistency with their letters and reasons we believe they are just using their authority to scare people off parking there in order to acquire the spaces for their own staff. Your opinions please... Thanks I think thats enought to ignor them, they might even be part of the police etc but seems like they're using the letter heads etc for personal use and surely thats not right! I bet if you take the notice you received to the police they'd say its not a genuine notice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest argy911 Posted April 3, 2009 Share Posted April 3, 2009 You need a louder exaust + bass box I think Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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