Police warn Hertfordshire motorists about speeding ticket scam

Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire (BCH) Cameras, Tickets and Collisions (CTC) has said a bogus email is being sent to residents claiming they owe money after being caught speeding.

The email is made to look like it has been sent from the police. A CTC spokesman confirmed a legitimate Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP) would never display the ‘gov.uk’ logo.

She added: “If you receive an email of this nature, do not click on any links within the body of the email text and instead take a screen shot of it before reporting it directly to Action Fraud.”

An NIP sent from Hertfordshire Constabulary and other police forces would be served within 14 days of the alleged offence in the form of a physical letter  via first class post. 

 

Drivers who kill will now face life sentence

Dangerous drivers who cause death while using their mobile phones or speeding will now face life in prison.

Drivers who kill while under the influence of drink or drugs will also face a life sentence. And there will be a new offence of causing serious injury through careless driving, as part of renewed efforts to improve road safety.

The new measures mean such drivers could face the same length of sentence as those convicted of manslaughter, with maximum penalties raised from 14 years to life.

Read the full story in the guardian

 

Thousands of Ticket Machines Not Accepting Old £1 Before Deadline

Motorists across the UK face chaos with thousands of ticket machines still not ready for the deadline of Sunday at 23.59pm after which the old round pounds fail to be legal tender.

MailOnline road tested the old pound to see how it fared in coin-operated machines days before the deadline and discovered that motorists travelling around the capital this weekend may struggle to park.

They tested a parking meter in Kensington, west London yesterday, which ate the coin and gave no ticket.

The British Parking Association says it is 'confident that the majority of parking machines are ready or will be ready to accept the new £1 coin'.

British Parking Association said the cost of replacing or converting 80,000 ticket machines will be up to £50million

It has advised members to ensure there are enough alternatives for motorists to pay for their parking, including card and smartphone options, as well as other cash denominations.

Meanwhile, Jonathan Hart, chief executive of the Automatic Vending Association (AVA), said: 'We believe that all machines owned by AVA members (around 380,000) are now accepting the new £1 coin.'

The AVA, which said it has worked closely with the Royal Mint throughout the planning of the new £1 coin, added that it has no access to information on those machines not owned by its members.
After Sunday, the round £1 coin can still be deposited at most High Street banks, which will have their own deadline – likely to be in about six months.

You can read more about the different tests that mail online conducted with the old round pound here