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Police crushed my car, even though it was insured - dad
9:27am Monday 5th February 2007
Comments (48)A FATHER of four's car was crushed after police wrongly accused him of driving without insurance.
Officers stopped Steven Booth's Peugeot while he was driving to work in Blackburn Road, Bolton.
They told him that according to their database he had no insurance and made him get out and walk, leaving his car parked at the side of the road. Police then arranged for the car to be towed away.
Because Mr Booth and his family could not raise the £105 fee for it to be released from the compound within the specified 14-day period, it was crushed.
Yet the car was fully insured by the AA. Now Mr Booth and his family do not have any transport.
He said: "I did nothing wrong - but they crushed my car."
Mr Booth, aged 36, of Trafford Street, Farnworth, was stopped at 2am on January 8 as he was driving to work in the car, for a night shift delivering fruit and vegetables.
His wife, Rachel, took the AA insurance certificate to Farnworth Police Station at 12.30pm the same day.
Mrs Booth was given a form to claim back the car from HM Recovery in Horwich.
But when Mr Booth heard about the £105 charge, he refused to pay - and for each day the car was in storage, the bill went up an extra £12.
Police patrol cars are fitted with a camera linked to the DVLA database that can instantly tell officers from the registration number if a vehicle is being driven illegally. Police use Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology which checks the DVLA and the Motor Insurers' Information Centre.
Mr Booth says he told the police officer who stopped him that he was insured.
"The police's attitude towards me was unbelievable. They said I might have cancelled my payments, in which case they would charge me with deception," he said.
"I asked if I could produce my documents later in the day, but they said my car would be towed away and I was left stranded and had to walk into work."
Mr Booth now pays £7.20 for a taxi to work every day and £1.55 for a bus journey home.
Ian Crowder, head of insurance public relations at The AA, confirmed Mr Booth was fully insured.
He said: "We think the police are behaving in cavalier fashion.
"Mr Booth was fully insured and was paying by instalments. His insurance was automatically updated on January 4.
"As far as we can tell he is not in the wrong and he and his family have lost out. We will be investigating this case."
A spokesman for HM Recovery, at Horwich Business Park, in Chorley New Rd, confirmed the car had been disposed of but claimed Mr Booth had signed a disposal notice. Mr Booth denies this.
He said: "I have not signed anything."
A police spokesman said: "When conducting investigations into whether vehicles are legitimately insured, GMP officers do not solely rely on the motor insurance database for verification. This is because it is not the responsibility of police forces to update the database and on occasions it can be inaccurate.
"An incident where a car was seized in Bolton on January 8, 2007, has been brought to the attention of officers.
"The circumstances surrounding this seizure will now be fully investigated to establish whether or not the seizure was lawfully made.
"In 2006, 41,000 vehicles were seized by GMP officers in relation to insurance and licensing offences. Subsequent investigations showed only two of these vehicles were unlawfully seized."
Your Say YourThis Is Lancashire
Bill, says...
10:15am Mon 5 Feb 07
Sam, Bolton says...
11:02am Mon 5 Feb 07
I feel very sorry for Mr Booth & hope he gets results & compensation from the police, must be so frustrating.
E Smith, Bolton says...
12:10pm Mon 5 Feb 07
Bill ., Cornwall says...
12:17pm Mon 5 Feb 07
Dave, Grt Lever says...
12:24pm Mon 5 Feb 07
Ghandi brought down the ruling British government in India with a campaign of Mass Civil Disobedience, i think it is about time the Subjects of Britain followed his lead, before this government totally ride roughshod over what is left of our civil liberties.
It is in no way illegal to not be carrying your legal documents while you drive,If asked by the police, the law provides 14 days for you to produce them at a police station for this very reason. Indeed it is probably unwise to keep them in the car, with the present climate of an innefective police force who's only role these days is that of a ta collector.
If you were foolish enough to keep the documents in your car, you would soon have them stolen, then in the next breath you would be a victim of identity theft.
Dave, Grt Lever says...
12:35pm Mon 5 Feb 07
You are innocent until proven guilty in the Law of this land, unless you step behind the wheel of a car.
Then the law does an about face.
http://www.cctv-core.co.uk/05-12-2006-concerns-about-legality-of-number-plate-cameras.html
Stephen Donaldson, USA says...
1:28pm Mon 5 Feb 07
robert wade, rossendale says...
1:28pm Mon 5 Feb 07
Chris, Bolton says...
2:29pm Mon 5 Feb 07
Two words. Rodney King.
Our police are angels compared to some of what goes on in your neck of the woods!
Fred, Spain says...
2:55pm Mon 5 Feb 07
Tommy, says...
3:51pm Mon 5 Feb 07
George, Bolton says...
3:57pm Mon 5 Feb 07
Chris wrote:Sorry,but that is completely irrelevent.
In response to Stephen Donaldson in the US of A. Two words. Rodney King. Our police are angels compared to some of what goes on in your neck of the woods!
I Haved near Mr Booth for 6 years, it took me by surprise accutally.
Anyway, they will get a new car, and maybe there getting payed to be in the Local Rag. I Think its done good they will be refunded for the taxi spensives and they know this, otherwise he would catch a bus. You Know what papers are like, a poor mans ambulance chaser
Badger, Bolton says...
4:27pm Mon 5 Feb 07
As for the rest.... Police State? Yeah right, read some history books about what the term really means. Mass summary executions in China post the revolution without the police responsible having to so much as fill in a form. Stalin's boys torturing and murdering anyone who stepped one foot out of line, with the 'lucky ones' living long enough to die as slaves in mines in Siberia. Even today most of us can think of dozens of countries where the police have the right to kill without question or investigation. Of course we should always be vigilant against moving in that direction but this long repeated cry from liberals is an insult to those who have had to live under such horrific conditions and know what its like to live in real and constant fear. On an international scale we are lucky to live in one of the most tolerant societies on earth, does that mean that all is always rosy, of course not, but we can always make a fuss and demand redress for example in an unrestricted public domain like this, an option that would not be available if the allegations were true.
Richard, Yorkshire says...
4:30pm Mon 5 Feb 07
I have been a victim of crime and the Police are not interested. Why? Because they commited it!
R ECKERSLEY, BOLTON says...
4:33pm Mon 5 Feb 07
STE BOOTH, FARNWORTH says...
5:16pm Mon 5 Feb 07
ONCE AGAIN THANKS TO ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
col, bolton says...
6:15pm Mon 5 Feb 07
Geoff, says...
6:20pm Mon 5 Feb 07
What a load of bunk
you wouldn't know a police state if it hit you on the head
danny, manchester says...
7:16pm Mon 5 Feb 07
shaz, mcr rd says...
8:00pm Mon 5 Feb 07
Ian, London says...
8:50pm Mon 5 Feb 07
Roger Savage, Manchester says...
9:20pm Mon 5 Feb 07
The police shouldn't act as judge, jury and executioner. Their job is to enforce the law and let the rest of the so-called justice system perform the other functions.
That aside, crushing any car is a complete waste of energy and money. When someone is found to have no insurance, why not sell the car instead? At least then the effort that went into making the car won't be totally wasted. As things stand, crushing cars seems to be wasteful symbolism of how the authorities perceive motorists.
Tom, Sale says...
9:35pm Mon 5 Feb 07
Crushing insured cars just demonstrates how out of hand this has become, and how incompetent the police are.
Poacher, Lincolnshire, UK says...
9:46pm Mon 5 Feb 07
Dave, here says...
10:17pm Mon 5 Feb 07
The language can get a bit anglo saxon..
http://www.orrp.com/smf/index.php?topic=33525.0
Richard, Yorkshire says...
10:30pm Mon 5 Feb 07
Geoff wrote:Do nothing about it for a few years more, and you will know one.
Richard, Yorkshire What a load of bunk you wouldn't know a police state if it hit you on the head
And there's no need to be rude
Colin, Glasgow says...
11:44pm Mon 5 Feb 07
fran, france says...
1:29pm Tue 6 Feb 07
Pam, Bolton says...
5:09pm Tue 6 Feb 07
George, Farnworth, (less than a minute from Ste\\\'s house) says...
5:44pm Tue 6 Feb 07
fran wrote:Ha! Ha! Ha! Sometimes I Really don't think.
Has George of Bolton, who complains about taxi \\\"spensives\\\", ever tried getting a bus at 2am.?
peugeot driver, bolton says...
6:38pm Tue 6 Feb 07
Was it at the same time that he realized
that what he wins in court he will be buying a BMW
Bill, says...
10:05pm Tue 6 Feb 07
Pam wrote:Pam, the terms of his policy have nothing whatsoever to do with whether or not it appears on MID. Further, the level of cover is irrelevant - of course he would have been insured, at least so far as any third party claims are concerned, and that is all that is matters. What you are saying is irrelevant nonsense.
I noticed above that Mr Booth was delivering fruit & veg, if his insurance policy states he can only drive for social domestic and pleasure reasons he is uninsured. If he was in the right he could have claimed the money back.
Nigel Dean, Wigan says...
10:58pm Tue 6 Feb 07
Ian wrote:Sod that for a lark, this is wherecivil disobedence strikes - due to costs of cards. I for one will NOT be getting one, I have sufficient now with a passport, driving licence and photo work ID.
This is nothing. Just wait until the identity card database is up and running.
I really hope the family get everything and more back with no penalty to their insurance.
John Fowler, Glasgow says...
10:31am Wed 7 Feb 07
This case shows the attitude of the police. The family should recieve a replacement vehicle of at least the value of the one destroyed and compensation for the inconvience and money spent on public transport. Off course its no inconvience to officers and police force involved as it comes from public purse.
Bagpuss, London says...
1:25pm Thu 8 Feb 07
I think it is in everyone's interest to be informed, so if you're going to come onto a chat page like this and talk about something, do yourselves a favour and GET INFORMED! Look at this website, it's all about the law on uninsured driving, how much it costs each and every one of us every year to pay for these scumbags, and one you've had a good read, you might not look so unfavourably on the police after all. www.miic.org.uk
Steve Jones, Cambridge says...
11:56am Fri 9 Feb 07
Courtney, Chicago, USA says...
8:19am Sun 18 Feb 07
Anthony Salkeld Hope, says...
10:08pm Mon 19 Feb 07
If you car/granny/dog/house/etc was hit.. you would want an avenue to pursue a claim
GARY BROOK, YORKSHIRE says...
11:23am Sun 18 Mar 07
Nick, London says...
3:08pm Wed 25 Apr 07
Jim, British Columbia says...
8:20am Thu 26 Apr 07
alan morris, says...
7:26pm Tue 8 May 07
John, Leicestershire says...
2:58am Wed 9 May 07
I am a driving instructor and my brother recently passed his test with me and I personally insured his car. After a few weeks his car packed up and he started to look for another, a friend of his was selling one and offered my brother his. My borther was unsure so his friend said he could try it for 1 week and then see. He spoke to me and I confirmed that his insurance policy allows him to drive any car he does not own on a 3rd party basis so long as he is not the owner. 2 days later he got stopped by ANPR and his car ceased even though the police at the scene rang his insurance and they confirmed he was covered they still took it.
I went with him after the bank holiday and we got his car back and paid £129 for this.
What you need to do as I am doing for him is now send of all your documents proving you were insured and have a license to your local police HQ to their vehicle recovery unit. They should reimburse any fee you paid if you can clearly prove you were covered.
It is true the police are abusing their powers and in my brothers case the police knew beyond doubt that he was innocent but still impounded the car.
1 bad apple yes but the good the ANPR does is massive. It can identify known suspects and drug users, burglary suspects and potential violent criminals know to travel in cars, it may also soon be used by Businesses to stop known trouble makers from entering the premises...it is in the early stages and some police officers like the power rush, but as a member of this Country and a father and a concerned citizen we are on our knees and the criminals are laughing their heads off. This tilts the balance, not yett maybe but it will make us safer I am sure...if we give it time and know that every now and then someone is going to have to pay for a technical error or just some ignorant cop. Somethings are worth the inconvenience to us good guys to stop them bad guys getting the easy life.
John, Leicestershire says...
3:04am Wed 9 May 07
Same for Mr Booth try putting in a claim for the full cost of your car to your local police HQ by sending all your documents (photocopies only)
richard henry wright, bolton says...
11:42pm Wed 17 Oct 07
on saturday i renewed my motor traders insurance paid the premuim in full by debit card and was told that my insurance had began from that moment .
in the early hours of wednesday i was stopped by 2 traffic cops and first of all breathalised ( i had`nt had a drink at all) when this proved negative they then asked if my car was insured to which i said yes , they then said it wasnt !!!! and that they were going to sieze and impound my car i told them i had only just renewed the policy and one of them only just stopped short of calling me a liar ! he said where is your insurance certificate to which o replied that due to the postal strike i have yet to recieve it from my insurers , i also told them that i had another vehicle , a rangerover insured with a seperate company which they checked also and found it was covered , one officer then said your ok to drive the lexus i was stopped in because i had fully comp insurance on my other vehicle , the arrogant one said he was still not happy that the lexus was insured and flatly refused to give me a producer and left me to walk 8 miles home with what ever i could manage to carry out of my car.
the next day i contacted my insurers who said everthing had been posted but they are based in liverpool where the postal strike is still ongoing but if i called down to thier office they could do the neccesary paperwork to prove my insurance , so with all my paperwork in place off i went to produce my insurance and licence and imagine my horror when i was told that due to it being a motor traders policy it could not be accepted at my local cop shop , instead i had to ring an office at the police staion in eccles some 10 miles away and book an "appointment" this can only be done between the hours of 10am and 2pm after 6 attempts i finally got through and was told i had to attend the police station at 9am prompt the next day .
i just beggars belief that these cops can cause an inoccent peson going about thier business quite legally so much hassle not to mention expense i.e a day off work maybe 2 a release fee for my legally used car , and generally the stress of all the running around to claim back property which should never have been taken from me in the first place .
once all this is resolved and i get my car returned to me i shall , make an official complaint against the officer concerned , and take legal advice with a veiw to claiming back ALL my expenses for what i concider to be an unlawfull act by the police .
Mike Dawson, wakefield says...
3:10pm Sat 5 Jan 08
omar, london says...
10:28am Thu 24 Apr 08
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Mr H, chorley says...
10:09am Mon 5 Feb 07