buslanesrefusal
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37p Thursday, December 29, 2011 SEN-eO1-S2 [P] Reporting local life since 1854 Christmas Edition [P] BAILIFFS CHASE BUS LANE FINES Man charged over stabbing A 54-YEAR-OLD man arrested in connection with the stabbing of a farmer is due in court today John Swinson, of Cheadle Road, Alton, was last night charged with grievous bodily harm with intent. He was arrested after police attended a report of an assault in Cheadle Road, Alton, at around 2.15pm on Tuesday. Father-of-three Walter Keeling, aged 62, of Cheadle Road, Alton, was taken by air ambulance to the University Hospital of North Staffordshire with serious injuries where he is still receiving treatment. Swinson was remanded in custody to appear before Fenton Magistrates Court today. See Page 3 £1m fraudster is behind bars A CRIMINAL convicted of a £1 million bank fraud handed himself into police after the Christmas holiday. Neil Wynne went on the run from Stafford Crown Court last Friday. The 44-year-old was sentenced to six years in prison in his absence. Wynne, of Fielding Street, Stoke, has now started his jail term after he surrendered himself at Newcastle Police Station on Tuesday. See Page 7 265 drivers refuse to pay £60 penalty BY ALEX CAMPBELL [email protected] HUNDREDS of motorists have been visited by bailiffs after refusing to pay £60 fines for driv- ing in bus lanes. Stoke-on-Trent City Council has issued 8,761 tickets since bringing in an £80,000 spy car to catch motorists driving along 10 bus lanes from October 2010. At least £196,000 has been raked in through fines from the 6,524 drivers who have paid up. But the council is now using bailiffs to recover cash from those who have refused to pay for several months. At least 265 drivers have had their cases handed to bailiffs, who are delivering letters to home addresses threatening fur- ther action. New figures show motorists are still using the 20-metre bus lane in Huntbach Street. More than 5,600 of the tickets issued have been on the Hanley road, which leads to car parks behind Marks & Spencer. Shoppers have accused the council of making easy money on the popular shortcut as many motorists claim not to realise it is a bus lane. The £60 fine is halved if paid within a fortnight of receiving the ticket. Shopper Pam Harrison, aged 61, of Oversley Road, Fegg Hayes, has shunned Hanley since receiving a £60 fine for using Huntbach Street. She said: “The bus lane spy car is just a cash cow for the council. I wouldn’t go to Hanley again unless I had no choice. “There are nicer places with cheaper parking only a little bit further away. “The council is driving people out of Hanley and they are not listening to anyone.” The number of people being caught in Huntbach Street has fallen from an average of 544- per-month to 262-per-month since the issue was high- lighted by The Sentinel in April. A further 2,105 motor- ists have been fined for using the Stafford Street bus lane in Hanley. The other tickets were issued in Albion Street, Hinde Street, Hulton Street, Old Hall Street and Quadrant Road, in Hanley; Christchurch Street, in Fenton; and Commerce Street and The Strand, in Longton. Abdul Rauf, pictured, chair- man of Stoke-on-Trent Hackney Carriage Association, who also operates Stoke-on-Trent Taxis, said: “The enforcement is good because if you allow everybody to use the lanes it will mean they are congested and buses and taxis get stuck in traffic.” The spy car was upgraded in the summer to allow it to auto- matically send fines to drivers parked illegally in residential streets and outside schools. A council spokesman said the authority has incurred no costs in bringing in bailiffs. He added: “There are 265 cases being processed by bailiffs in connection with outstanding bus lane penalty debts.” Have you been visited by the bus lane bailiffs? Email us at [email protected] FANS REACH FOR THE SKY SEE PAGE 4 Sidibe: ‘My son stopped me from retiring’ BACK PAGE Picture: Mark Scott FREE INSIDE: YOUR SPECIAL NEW YEAR TELEVISION GUIDE £500 ADVANCE ON YOUR PERSONAL INJURY CLAIM WHEN LIABILITY’S ADMITTED* 01782 20 60 20 Walk In - No Appointment Needed claim online at: www.porterssolicitors.co.uk Call 24 hours / 7 days a week (open Saturdays 10am - 2pm) NO WIN NO FEE 100% COMPENSATION *terms apply ©NM A1 EMBASSY TAXI’S Normal fares throughout the festive season Minimum charge £3 Tel 01782 222222
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SEE PAGE 4 Call 24hours/7days aweek BACK PAGE Sidibe: ‘My son stopped me from retiring ’ 37pThursday,December29,2011 Normalfares throughoutthe festiveseason Minimumcharge£3 WalkIn-NoAppointmentNeeded (openSaturdays10am-2pm) Reporting local life since 1854 NOWINNOFEE 100%COMPENSATION claimonlineat: www.porterssolicitors.co.uk BY ALEX CAMPBELL ONYOUR WHENLIABILITY’SADMITTED* Picture: Mark Scott Have you been visited by the bus lane bailiffs? Email us at [email protected] [P] ©NM
Transcript of buslanesrefusal
37pThursday, December 29, 2011
SEN
-eO1
-S2
[P]
Reporting local life since 1854
Christmas Edition
[P]
BAILIFFSCHASE BUSLANE FINES
Man chargedover stabbingA 54-YEAR-OLD man arrestedin connection with thestabbing of a farmer is due incourt today
John Swinson, of CheadleRoad, Alton, was last nightcharged with grievous bodilyharm with intent.
He was arrested after policeattended a report of an assaultin Cheadle Road, Alton, ataround 2.15pm on Tuesday.
Father-of-three WalterKeeling, aged 62, of CheadleRoad, Alton, was taken by airambulance to the UniversityHospital of NorthStaffordshire with seriousinjuries where he is stillreceiving treatment.
Swinson was remanded incustody to appear beforeFenton Magistrates Courtt o d ay.See Page 3
£1m fraudsteris behind barsA CRIMINAL convicted of a £1million bank fraud handedhimself into police after theChristmas holiday.
Neil Wynne went on the runfrom Stafford Crown Courtlast Friday.
The 44-year-old wassentenced to six years inprison in his absence.
Wynne, of Fielding Street,Stoke, has now started his jailterm after he surrenderedhimself at Newcastle PoliceStation on Tuesday.See Page 7
265 drivers refuse to pay £60 penalty
BY ALEX [email protected]
HUNDREDS of motorists havebeen visited by bailiffs afterrefusing to pay £60 fines for driv-ing in bus lanes.
Stoke-on-Trent City Councilhas issued 8,761 tickets sincebringing in an £80,000 spy car tocatch motorists driving along 10bus lanes from October 2010.
At least £196,000 has beenraked in through fines from the6,524 drivers who have paid up.
But the council is now usingbailiffs to recover cash fromthose who have refused to payfor several months.
At least 265 drivers have hadtheir cases handed to bailiffs,who are delivering letters tohome addresses threatening fur-ther action.
New figures showmotorists are stillusing the 20-metre buslane in HuntbachStreet. More than 5,600of the tickets issuedhave been on the Hanleyroad, which leads tocar parks behindMarks & Spencer.
Shoppers have accused thecouncil of making easy moneyon the popular shortcut as manymotorists claim not to realise itis a bus lane.
The £60 fine is halved if paidwithin a fortnight of receivingthe ticket.
Shopper Pam Harrison, aged61, of Oversley Road, FeggHayes, has shunned Hanleysince receiving a £60 fine forusing Huntbach Street.
She said: “The bus lane spycar is just a cash cow for thecouncil. I wouldn’t go to Hanleyagain unless I had no choice.
“There are nicer places withcheaper parking only a little bitfurther away.
“The council is driving peopleout of Hanley and they are notlistening to anyone.”
The number of people beingcaught in Huntbach Street hasfallen from an average of 544-
per-month to 262-per-monthsince the issue was high-lighted by The Sentinel in
Ap r i l .A further2,105 motor-
ists havebeen
fined for using the StaffordStreet bus lane in Hanley.
The other tickets were issuedin Albion Street, Hinde Street,Hulton Street, Old Hall Streetand Quadrant Road, in Hanley;Christchurch Street, in Fenton;and Commerce Street and TheStrand, in Longton.
Abdul Rauf, pictured, chair-man of Stoke-on-Trent HackneyCarriage Association, who alsooperates Stoke-on-Trent Taxis,said: “The enforcement is goodbecause if you allow everybodyto use the lanes it will mean theyare congested and buses andtaxis get stuck in traffic.”
The spy car was upgraded inthe summer to allow it to auto-matically send fines to driversparked illegally in residentialstreets and outside schools.
A council spokesman said theauthority has incurred no costsin bringing in bailiffs.
He added: “There are 265 casesbeing processed by bailiffs inconnection with outstandingbus lane penalty debts.”
Have you been visited by thebus lane bailiffs? Email us [email protected]
FANS REACHFOR THE SKY
SEE PAGE 4
Sidibe:‘My sonstoppedme fromre t i r i n g ’
BACK PAGE
Picture:Mark Scott
FREE INSIDE: YOUR SPECIALNEW YEAR TELEVISION GUIDE
£500ADVANCE
ON YOUR
PERSONAL INJURY CLAIMWHEN LIABILITY’S ADMITTED*
01782 20 60 20Walk In - No Appointment Needed
claim online at: www.porterssolicitors.co.uk
Call 24 hours / 7 days a week
(open Saturdays 10am - 2pm)NO WIN NO FEE 100% COMPENSATION
*terms apply
©NM
A1 EMBASSYTAXI’S
Normal fares
throughout the
festive seasonMinimum charge £3
Tel 01782 222222
