Police bill hit-and-run victim for crash investigation (From Darlington and Stockton Times)
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Police bill hit-and-run victim for crash investigation
10:15am Thursday 18th October 2012 in News
'IT'S LAUGHABLE': Accident victim Dave Kenvyn
HIT-AND-RUN victim Dave Kenvyn had salt rubbed into his wounds when police billed him for investigating the crash.
The court security guard suffered cuts and bruises when he was hit by a car as he was cycling to work in Middlesbrough.
The 49-year-old went to hospital to have his head injuries checked before starting his shift and reporting the accident to police.
When he investigated making an accident injury claim, he was told he needed confirmation from the police that the accident happened.
But two weeks later he was floored again – when a letter from Cleveland Police arrived requesting £86 for the inquiry.
The father-of-two said last night: “No way am I going to pay that, absolutely not. It’s a blooming disgrace, a scandal.
“Police demanding money to investigate whether the accident I reported had been reported to them? What on earth next? What happens if someone rings up to say they’ve been mugged? Do the police turn up and take a bit more from them?
“If a burglary victim gets cleaned out, are they asked, ‘do you have anything of value left because we need our slice, too’?
“I thought we paid our taxes for things such as this. I could not believe my eyes when I opened the letter and saw the bill.”
Cleveland Police described the policy as routine and a spokesman said: “It’s just something we do as a matter of course.”
The police letter asked for a £50 search fee and a further £36 to supply a copy of the accident report, should one be located.
Mr Kenvyn, from Ormesby, Middlesbrough, said: “If it wasn’t so serious it would be laughable. Talk about adding insult to injury.”
The accident happened when Mr Kenvyn, who is married, approached the junction of Ormesby Road and Crossfell Road on September 18.
He suffered injuries to his face, head and both legs, and said he could have been more badly hurt had he not been wearing a helmet.
A police spokesman said: “This is not a new policy. Any searches which are directed to the accident records department are chargeable.”
Comments(14)
mog2012
says...
12:05pm Thu 18 Oct 12
HSC
says...
12:56pm Thu 18 Oct 12
Why should the tax-payer have to pay the administration costs for this gentleman to make an injury claim.
He seems more interested in the injury claim then justice as he rang an injury claim firm before contacting the Police
CynicaloldGit
says...
2:37pm Thu 18 Oct 12
HSC wrote:Why should there be any admin costs? The person doing the search is paid for going to work whether they bdo anything or nothing, or are the paid by the amount of bits of work they do, are they on peice work at the police headquarters?.
Ermm..not exactly being billed to investigate.
Why should the tax-payer have to pay the administration costs for this gentleman to make an injury claim.
He seems more interested in the injury claim then justice as he rang an injury claim firm before contacting the Police
Tell you what, next time the police ask you for a witness statement to help with their enquiries, tell them it will cost them 50 quid to search you memory and 36 quid admin to sign their statement form.
spoorsjone
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3:08pm Thu 18 Oct 12
Mod
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4:14pm Thu 18 Oct 12
robbiejay
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6:33pm Thu 18 Oct 12
spoorsjone
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8:18pm Thu 18 Oct 12
entitled opinion
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1:06am Fri 19 Oct 12
spoorsjone wrote:The police are there to investigate incidents not spend valuable time and money supplying documents to people who want to make a claim. If you go anywhere else and want copies of paperwork you have to pay so why not for the police.This story is hardly anything to do with what the title says. With the where theres a blame theres a claim culture the way things are going the police will need an allocated member of staff just to carry out these requests so who then pays their wages because I begrudge doing so.
so Robiejay if the same happened to you you would pay up for the police to do the job they are already paid for,the man was knocked of his bike he could have been killed, he deserves compensation he's not one of those people who try to con insurance money out of people.
grandmab
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3:39am Fri 19 Oct 12
DarloXman
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4:36pm Fri 19 Oct 12
David Lacey
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6:08pm Sat 20 Oct 12
spoorsjone
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6:54pm Sat 20 Oct 12
dawn patrol
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7:47pm Sat 20 Oct 12
glyn says...
11:29am Thu 18 Oct 12