Jottings
News from the UK and around the World
. . . the wild, the wacky, the wonderful, the weird and the downright infuriating
Boys in Blue
Hertfordshire Police wanted to question
a 25-year-old man of no fixed address
about a series of incidents, so posted a
photograph on their website and
Facebook page. Anyone knowing the
suspect or aware of his whereabouts was
asked to contact the constabulary.
Despite the fact that they mentioned his
appearance may have changed, a lot of
people immediately recognised the man
pictured. They were able to identify him
and advise officers where to find him ...
largely because the force had mistakenly
published a photo of Hatfield’s new
Neighbourhood Inspector Wayne Nash,
in uniform, outside Hatfield police
station. The blunder was quickly
mocked by residents of the county who
spotted the mistake, one commenting
how the suspect had changed his
appearance very effectively and was
clearly “hiding in plain sight.” The image
was swiftly updated.
Parking problems
Anyone hiring a car accepts that if a fine
or penalty charge is incurred during the
hire period, then the client is liable to
pay it. But what happens if the hire
company simply pays the fine when it is
received, leaving the client no chance to
appeal against it?
That’s what happened to Peter Filmer
who was caught on security cameras
when queuing to leave a McDonald’s
drive-through at a Whitfield Service
Station, near Dover. He had not parked
26
at the station, and explained, “There was
quite a queue leaving McDonalds onto
the service road, but I thought nothing
of it.” The first he knew of the fine was
when Europcar charged the £60 fine to
his credit card ... plus a £30
administration fee. After a series of
complaints, Europcar was forced to
return the full £90 – but only on a
technicality; it could not locate a signed
copy of Mr Filmer’s rental agreeement.
But be warned – Europcar is standing by
its original decision, citing its terms and
conditions.
Melting snowflakes
After what seems like months of
reporting on the antics of snowflake
students, Jottings can, for once, report
better news. Guidelines, published last