Former police officer wins fight against cigarette fine
A RETIRED policeman was fined for dropping a cigarette end out of his car window – despite being a non-smoker and not even driving at the time.
Robert Marshall received a £50 fine from Nottingham City Council after a warden reported spotting him littering while driving along Hucknall Road, Nottingham.
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Nottingham City Council has now dropped a fine against former cop Robert Marshall, who they accused of dropping a cigarette end from his car.
But the council has now dropped the fine against the former officer after he told them he does not smoke and his car was in a car park at the time of the alleged offence.
The authority was also unable to confirm to Mr Marshall where in Hucknall Road the offence had taken place.
It has told him that a line has been drawn under the matter, after speaking to the warden involved.
Mr Marshall, 48, of Moor Road, Bestwood Village, said: "The council have said they had a word with the warden, he said he was mistaken, and that is the end of the matter.
"This sort of thing is just unacceptable. I wonder how many others have been unfortunate enough to get this sort of ticket and have just paid the £50 fine because they cannot prove otherwise?
"When I got the ticket I was seething and I am even worse now."
Mr Marshall was informed by letter that he had been fined for supposedly dropping the cigarette out of his car window in Hucknall Road at around 1pm on March 16. He gave CCTV footage to the council showing his BMW car was located in a car park at New College Nottingham's Clarendon College site, in Mansfield Road, Nottingham, at the time.
Mr Marshall served with Notts Police for 25 years, including in the Road Traffic Division, and now works at the college as a security guard.
He said: "I told the council it wasn't me because I don't smoke or litter. I have never smoked in my life.
"When I got the notice, I looked at the time and the date and saw I wasn't there at the time. I also got footage of my car on CCTV which showed it was parked in a car park.
"The city council then said it would rip up the ticket and told me to forget about it."
A council spokesman said: "We apologise for any inconvenience this genuine mistake has caused. We have since cancelled the fixed penalty notice and can assure him that mistakes like this happen rarely."
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by Aquilas, parts unknown
Thursday, June 17 2010, 8:36PM
“I knew what you meant 'Percy'. jay, that kind of common sense and initiative have no place here lol.
'Percy' have you considered that you may have done a goode job of ruining some peoples lives in your quest for "Freedom"?”
by jay, city
Monday, June 14 2010, 7:45PM
“I wonder if Rodger Thaw, Bobajob, James Nottingham and Percy etc are the same person? It would really help if the 5 or 6 people who most often post on here just used one name rather than pretend that there is some kind of wider support for their views by pretending to be different people? On checking the NCC website http://www.protectnottingham.co.uk/userfiles/Are%20you%20the%20face%20of%20Community%20Protection.pdf CPOs are clearly enforcement officers not just community workers. A simple check took all of 2 mins, with a video too and I dont even have ' a friend who is a cpo' to guide me.”
by James, Nottingham
Monday, June 14 2010, 5:12PM
“LOL Yep. You cant fool ALL of the people ALL of the time”
by Percy, 223 Bde.
Monday, June 14 2010, 12:43AM
“Hope this all helps AQ..off to find people that want to help the real Notts 'Community' and find ways to 'measure' that support. NOT flipping fines where the fags drop of the bins anyway??”
by Percy, 223 Bde.
Monday, June 14 2010, 12:36AM
“99 percent of Community Protection fines are from people chucking fags out of car windows! They have been got by CPO's wearing civvies and pretending to catch buses etc. Evidence here!! Thats what targets do for middle management!!! And if the Post does'nt contact me...I'm going to the Mail....no offence at all but U folks must see what is going on by now?”