Episode 11 Dom on the Spot


Episode 11

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Never before have so many on-the-spot fines

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been issued in Britain.

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We're going to be following the men and women who hand out over

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?30 million worth of tickets every month.

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Oops. Round here, they are an absolute blight.

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I am up to 104 now.

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Wow. That is disgusting.

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Just walk away.

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'For behaviour that's downright dangerous...'

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That was stupid for these sort of conditions, wasn't it?

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'..simply selfish...'

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Look at the mess you've created in the street.

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How is that our fault?

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Or just... What is he doing?

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Well, plain silly.

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What a doughnut.

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'We'll be revealing the cost of their bad behaviour...'

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?100 fine.

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Pays ?260.

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Ouch. '..and how this could affect you.'

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I'll give him a punch. Do you want to see me kick off?

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The police are on it...

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What the...?! Sir!

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..the parking wardens are on it...

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They should be thanking us for being here.

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'..and I'M on it.'

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Careful, it's a 30mph limit here.

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I'm Dom Littlewood,

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and I'm On The Spot.

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This time...

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..there's no hiding place in the battle of the bins.

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I'm trying to give you a fixed penalty now or it will go to court.

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I'm on the spot with the speed cops...

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I'm reporting you for consideration of the question of

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prosecuting you for speeding.

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..as they find and fine the speeders.

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Quite shocking, really.

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And there's something nasty waiting for the litter patrol.

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There were three needles that were exposed,

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so that kid could have easily picked it up.

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It's market day in Romford in Havering.

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But Kam Paul isn't shopping for fresh fruit and veg.

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She's in the market for something else.

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Parking fines.

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Obviously, if an entire car park in

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the middle of a town centre is closed,

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all the vehicles that would normally park there are going to

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find an alternative, and it will be

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the surrounding area that gets busier.

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Kam is a traffic warden in North East London.

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With so many vehicles and so few spaces,

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Kam is armed with the power to issue ?130 on-the-spot fines

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to any driver guilty of making the parking problems worse.

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You're going to get into more confrontation with people,

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which is something you really don't want.

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Um, you just want to get through the day smoothly and peacefully.

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Because that alone is a miracle in this job.

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If you ever have one of those days

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where none of the drivers come back and you don't get abuse from anyone,

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it's a weird feeling.

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You're like, "Oh, my God, I didn't get abused by anybody today!"

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And with all those shoppers and traders flooding in, it's car wars.

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Parking is at a real premium.

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Kam has spotted a car squeezed into a loading bay.

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The question is - will this be a fine?

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This car has taken the loading space,

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which has forced the van to go further into the footway.

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So, what's the story?

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That space is supposed to be off-limits to cars.

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It's only good for larger vehicles who are loading.

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Round the rear, Kam spots the car's owner - a builder.

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Got ten minutes on that. No.

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Sorry.

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Why?

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Because you're not a van, boss.

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Only vans and HGVs are allowed to load and upload in the loading bays.

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Is it? And obviously, with your vehicle there,

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it's forced that vehicle to come more into the footway.

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There's only the one spot for loading.

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It's clearly an offence, but will it be a fine?

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That's definitely a legit ticket.

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Parking on a footway with a car, the builder with the BMW

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gets a penalty of ?130.

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Unloading my tools, changing the awning.

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Got a ticket. Now and again, they get us,

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now and again, they don't.

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You can't argue with them. It's not worth arguing.

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Just pay it.

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The reality is that, in this part of Havering,

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wardens must always give an offending car ten minutes' grace.

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Regardless of whether they're two, three or four hours overdue,

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as long as they've bought a ticket.

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And it's not long before Kam spots another potential offender.

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My friend here has bought a ticket until 10.30.

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It is now 11.30.

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So it's already had an hour's grace.

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But I'm still going to stand here, like the saddo that I am,

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and I'm going to give him another ten minutes.

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I should be able to issue this instantly, because he's had an hour.

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But he's going to get another ten minutes.

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Because that's the rules.

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Kam waits, the clock is ticking.

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The driver returns, but will he find a fine waiting for him?

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I'm not getting a ticket, am I?

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Well, yeah. You're an hour expired, boss.

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Why's that? Look at the time.

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10.28, and now it's 11.41.

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I got two hours. I put a pound in.

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No, you've got a free ticket.

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My ticket's here. I put a pound in...

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..and I got two pieces of a ticket.

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I thought that was the part that I have to show, because it's got my

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registration on. The other part is just the receipt, wasn't it?

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No, that is a full ticket.

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That is what would come out of the machine, sir.

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I put a pound in, I swear to God, darling.

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You can ask the lads in there.

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Honestly.

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So, is this driver an hour over the limit after getting a free ticket,

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or an honest purchase gone wrong?

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He could be facing an on-the-spot fine.

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So you're giving me a ticket? No, if you move now...

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Yeah, I will move it now. That's fine.

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Kam's given him the benefit of the doubt.

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Maybe it's because of those muscles.

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That driver obviously claims to have put a pound in,

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he's claiming that the machine's just taken his money and only

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given him the half-hour free ticket.

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I'm not totally convinced,

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but he did come back within two minutes of my observation finishing.

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A lucky one there. Lucky escape.

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The market is doing a roaring trade on the site of the town's car park,

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so, with 160 less parking spaces today, the locals look elsewhere.

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But here, it's permit holders only.

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The person can't get confused.

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So, if you don't have a permit,

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your car is not meant to be here.

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And Kam's found an old friend.

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This vehicle has a habit of not buying a ticket.

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I can assure you, I have probably issued this car about

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five times in the last two months.

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Wow! This driver could have amassed over ?600 in fines.

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That's ridiculous.

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But what about this new offence?

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They parked in a permit holders only car park.

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This repeat offender will have to cough up another ?130.

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Even Kam is amazed by the cheek of this driver.

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I think it was yesterday.

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The driver was actually in the vehicle and I gave him the option

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to move on and he said, "I'm not going to move,

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"you might as well just give me a ticket."

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Hold your horses.

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What's this?

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This is yesterday's ticket to this vehicle that I issued,

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it's got my badge number, it's got the date and then, at some point,

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it's left his windscreen and ended up on the floor.

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The question is, whether the wind took it,

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or was it discarded in disgust?

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And this is another ticket from the same day to the same car...

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..so the driver's actually had two tickets from yesterday.

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For him to have had two tickets,

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he must have been removing them from his windscreen.

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The person would not get a second ticket in the same location.

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In two days, he's managed to get three fines,

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which normally wouldn't be possible, unless you had it over three days.

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So he's basically got three days' tickets in two days.

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So he is on a record-breaking spree here.

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Three ?130 fines?

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At that price, the driver must have pretty deep pockets.

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And, closer to town, the parking issues keep on coming

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for eagle-eyed Kam.

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We're watching you from over there. The vehicle has been here a while.

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So let's take a look at this piece of car crime.

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Parked right bang in the middle of a loading bay.

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Could this mean an instant ?130 fine?

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See, this is absolute appalling parking,

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cos, not only has the driver gone right in between the loading bay,

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he's forced the van behind to not park legally

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and not left enough space in front for anyone to park legally.

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So he has taken the entire bay.

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And the driver's nowhere to be seen.

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Will the owner return to find a fine waiting?

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I should give it a ticket, but because the lady is calling

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the driver, I'm going to give it a couple of minutes.

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Time's ticking. In fact, time's running out for this car.

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The owner miraculously appears.

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Is this you, boss?

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You're in a loading bay. It's for vans and HGVs only.

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Kam's being incredibly lenient this time.

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No fine.

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HORN BEEPS

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Almost caused an accident on his way out.

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No-one likes getting a parking ticket,

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but if you're hit with a pesky parking penalty, you can appeal,

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either to the local council or to an independent adjudicator.

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This is London's Chancery Exchange,

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where the capital's environment and traffic adjudications are heard.

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Kalil has come here in the hope that

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he can be one of the 50,000 motorists a year

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whose fines are overturned.

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But that's up to adjudicator Belinda Pearce.

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In this instance, the authority, which is Kensington and Chelsea,

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are alleging that you overstayed, so to speak,

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that you paid to park,

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and then the vehicle was seen in the same spot,

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but after the expiry of the paid for time.

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But I understand you are contesting that, aren't you? Of course, yes.

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Kalil has been hit with an ?80 penalty because his car was parked

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longer than his ticket allowed, but only by a few minutes.

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He claims the enforcement officer apologised for issuing the ticket,

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but said his only option would be to appeal.

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And in what way contesting?

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So, basically, I was attending an interview on the day,

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and, um, I had come out to meet the parking official beside my car,

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who had already issued a ticket as displayed on my vehicle.

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So I challenged him there and then and he was apologetic and said that,

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"I'm sorry, I've already issued the ticket,

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"there's nothing that can be done now,

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"so you would have to challenge it."

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Kalil's evidence includes a picture of himself

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by the car as the ticket was issued,

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but will that be enough to convince Belinda that

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he was negotiating with the officer

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and persuade her to overturn his on-the-spot fine?

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I see that the officer has recorded in these notes that the

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paid for time had expired at 2.46.

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The penalty charge notice I'm looking at now was issued at 2.53.

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And I understand the photographs were taken at, variously, 2.54,

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and, in fact, the one in which you are visible is at 2.58,

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after the issue of the penalty charge notice.

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It's not looking good, I'm afraid, Kalil.

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In this instance, whereas the photographs show

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it's quite clear that you're present,

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but you're present AFTER the time had expired.

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Um, the piece of evidence, which is the voucher with the expiry time on,

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we can't see.

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You, I believe, haven't retained it, or you did, but you've misplaced it.

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So we're reliant upon what the civil enforcement officer recorded,

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and he recorded that it expired at 2.46.

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Now, I have to apply the law, so, on the facts,

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the vehicle was parked after the expiry of time.

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Let's take a look at the facts.

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The ticket expired at 2.46.

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The fine was issued at 2.53.

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And Kalil was photographed at his car at 2.58.

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I'm not sure that's strong enough

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for Kalil to get his fine kicked out.

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But Belinda's got a surprise for him.

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But some law was instituted last year,

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which came into effect in April of 2015.

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It's regulations made under the Traffic Management Act of 2004,

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which say that there must be at least ten minutes left

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after a vehicle is parked and properly parked

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in as much as paid for parking time.

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And so I can apply the law in this case and I can say that the

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civil enforcement officer had pre-empted the situation and had

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issued the penalty charge notice within that ten-minute period.

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And therefore, applying the law to the facts,

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I can allow your appeal today.

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Thank you very much. Thank you. That's all for today.

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There you have it.

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The ticket was issued inside the grace period.

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Appeal upheld.

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Worth coming in in the end, wasn't it, Kalil?

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You're obviously a very happy man right now, aren't you? Yeah.

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This is your first time. You've been successful.

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So tell me, what do you think of the fact that there is this service here

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at your disposal?

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Well, I think obviously it's very, very important that, you know,

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there is an independence there.

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If you do take it and you believe you are in the right...

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It's worth fighting. ..you have to fight it.

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OK. I'll give you a chance now to send a message out to anybody else

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who might feel they have got a ticket and it's been unfair.

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What would you say to them? I would say definitely challenge it.

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How much have you saved today? It would have been ?80.

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Right, what are you going to do with the money?

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Are you going to celebrate? Absolutely.

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Get onto the phone now and make some plans with the missus.

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Hey, Lucky Missus. Thank you for your time.

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Thank you so much. OK. Thank you. Thank you.

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Do you remember that phrase Keep Britain Tidy?

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It was a message that did get through to a lot of people,

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but unfortunately, there are some out there

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who think it's fine to dump your rubbish anywhere that suits you

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and let someone else clear it up.

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You know? Perhaps an on-the-spot fine might make them

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think twice about it next time.

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I feel irritated when I see litter.

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I feel very annoyed.

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It's not a nice thing to do, it's a bad habit.

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I don't understand why people do it.

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It can upset me.

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But what type of littering annoys us the most?

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Plastic bags. Empty plastic bottles.

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Part-used food.

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Banana skins. Food packaging.

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Crisp packets. Smashed glasses on the floor.

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You don't necessarily want to see that on your doorstep.

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So what's the impact on our environment?

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We've got a beautiful city here, and they can spoil it.

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I think it definitely ruins the community, the way that it looks.

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You're going to get rats and mice and everything.

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And who are the culprits?

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I've seen my mates do it and it's like, you idiots.

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I have dropped litter, yes.

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Sometimes, I'll go back and pick it up,

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but sometimes, I'll think I'll just leave it.

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Hang on, just a minute ago, you said it upset you.

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Oh, never mind.

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I know people who do it and it's just, it's like,

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dude, can you not just wait? You've got pockets.

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It's children dropping litter and parents perhaps don't see it.

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To be honest, it's generally high school children, or young adults.

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Have you ever dropped litter yourself?

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Yeah. I don't understand the question.

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Well, you might understand this.

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To fine or not to fine.

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That is the question.

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I think you've got to come down hard on it.

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You should fine them, yeah. Definitely.

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Well, they should be fined and all. Very heavy.

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Um, it depends really on, like, how substantial the fine is.

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Like, if it's ?80 for dropping a piece of litter,

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that's completely unacceptable.

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That's just robbery, isn't it?

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Whereas, I think, what? ?5, ?10, yeah, fair enough.

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In Cardiff, waste enforcement officer Steph is on the prowl,

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looking for residents who can't be bothered to

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dump their rubbish responsibly.

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Steph has the power to issue an ?80 on-the-spot fine,

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but it seems that some are still willing to take that risk.

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Earlier, Steph spotted a pile of rubbish

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dumped where it shouldn't be.

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So that could lead to a fine.

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On the way over to here now, we saw some dumped waste in black bags.

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It looks a bit of a mess, actually, so, um...

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I'm going to search the bags.

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As if trying to match rubbish with its owner

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wasn't enough of a headache to deal with,

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Steph's contending with another apparently common problem.

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We also get a problem with bag slashers at this time of the year.

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Bag slashers, you say?

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So where people come round and they'll see a lot of bags,

0:18:170:18:20

they'll just slash through them to see what they can find.

0:18:200:18:23

So those are OK there, but then, you've got this mess here.

0:18:230:18:27

Which is completely...

0:18:270:18:28

..gross.

0:18:290:18:30

Looks like a ransacked jumble sale.

0:18:320:18:34

Good luck with that, Steph.

0:18:340:18:36

If Steph can find evidence in the pile

0:18:380:18:40

linking the junk to a property,

0:18:400:18:42

then she could be able to issue the occupants with an on-the-spot fine.

0:18:420:18:46

Just clothes, no evidence, so they're clothes from a family.

0:18:460:18:50

They could have taken it to a clothes bank

0:18:500:18:53

or weighed them in and got money for it.

0:18:530:18:55

There's a bag here, there may be something in here.

0:18:570:19:00

Oh!

0:19:000:19:01

Despite the mess,

0:19:030:19:05

Steph's search for evidence towards a fine must continue.

0:19:050:19:08

Fly tipping isn't just like tonnes of waste

0:19:120:19:15

in a lane, builder's waste.

0:19:150:19:17

I'd class this as fly tipping as well.

0:19:170:19:19

No, it's just all children's clothes and shoes and...

0:19:220:19:25

Eugh! It stinks.

0:19:300:19:32

If you could have one wish right now, Steph, what would it be?

0:19:320:19:35

I'd love to find some evidence now.

0:19:350:19:37

I'm just going to knock their door and issue them...

0:19:370:19:40

It's disgusting.

0:19:400:19:42

I've got a feeling you're in luck.

0:19:420:19:43

With evidence linking the mess to an address...

0:19:460:19:50

What number are we on here? ..a fine is looking more likely.

0:19:500:19:53

And I know why they've done it.

0:19:550:19:57

And Steph thinks she knows the motive.

0:19:570:20:00

And they've done it, because I sent them a letter to clear the frontage,

0:20:000:20:04

because their front garden was just full of waste,

0:20:040:20:06

so they've picked it up and they've dumped it around the corner there.

0:20:060:20:09

I'm going to knock the door... and take a pen.

0:20:090:20:11

So Steph thinks the owner of the rubbish has just moved the problem

0:20:110:20:15

elsewhere and that's still a fine, but will the resident own up?

0:20:150:20:20

Are they even in?

0:20:290:20:30

DOOR OPENS

0:20:410:20:42

Hiya, Cardiff Council Waste Enforcement.

0:20:420:20:44

DOOR SLAMS Charming(!)

0:20:440:20:46

But Steph isn't put off that easily.

0:20:460:20:48

Hiya. Cardiff Council Waste Enforcement.

0:20:510:20:53

Just about the dumped waste around the corner there.

0:20:530:20:56

Yeah, I found evidence to your property.

0:20:560:20:58

Do you want to come and have a look?

0:20:580:21:00

This camera-shy fellow isn't taking Steph's word for it.

0:21:000:21:04

Do you want to get a brown envelope off the back?

0:21:040:21:07

You'll receive a fixed penalty for that, all right,

0:21:070:21:09

for dumping the waste. Where is it?

0:21:090:21:11

It's in the back of the van in a brown envelope.

0:21:110:21:14

Yeah, you have. I've also got...

0:21:140:21:16

Well, come on, then.

0:21:170:21:19

Yeah, he's gone to get it.

0:21:190:21:20

All right, I'll show you the photographs and then I've got the...

0:21:240:21:26

All right?

0:21:260:21:28

Steph is primed to issue a fine, but it's proving easier said than done.

0:21:300:21:35

All right? So all that there, OK.

0:21:350:21:37

It's from this property here.

0:21:370:21:39

Yeah, it is, yeah.

0:21:390:21:40

Because I sent you a letter to clear the front garden and now you've

0:21:400:21:43

dumped it all around there.

0:21:430:21:44

I've got a photo of all the evidence.

0:21:440:21:46

I can either give you a fixed penalty now or it will go to court.

0:21:460:21:49

So, let's remind ourselves of what that evidence is.

0:21:520:21:56

Black bags dumped around the corner,

0:21:560:21:58

a letter found amongst it, pointing to a house

0:21:580:22:01

that Steph previously wrote to,

0:22:010:22:04

asking the owners to clear out their front garden.

0:22:040:22:07

He's saying it's not his waste.

0:22:080:22:10

It obviously is. I'm going to have a search through the rest of it

0:22:100:22:12

cos there's still some left to search.

0:22:120:22:14

But he will get a fixed penalty for it.

0:22:140:22:17

So, he's not admitting to dumping his rubbish.

0:22:170:22:21

But if the court disagrees, he could be looking at a much bigger fine.

0:22:210:22:25

Do you know what would be great? If I have a look at the photos -

0:22:250:22:29

the one I took of his front garden - and, if that's in there,

0:22:290:22:33

I've got him bang to rights, really, haven't I?

0:22:330:22:35

Pull that down a bit. I asked him why it was there,

0:22:380:22:40

he said he didn't do it.

0:22:400:22:42

Well, who else would have taken his waste, though, you know?

0:22:420:22:44

But he won't pay the fixed penalty, and it'll go to court.

0:22:440:22:47

So I'll just... I'll just show the judge what I found,

0:22:470:22:50

and then it's up to him, then.

0:22:500:22:52

So it'll probably end up in court, this one.

0:22:520:22:54

But it will be a fixed penalty issued.

0:22:540:22:56

In Gloucestershire, I'm on patrol

0:23:050:23:07

with traffic cops PC Shelley Holloway

0:23:070:23:10

and PC Olly Buxton.

0:23:100:23:11

'We're heading to a regular haunt for the local speed demons,

0:23:120:23:16

'right in the heart of this rural idyll.

0:23:160:23:18

'And it might surprise you to find out it's very near a school.'

0:23:180:23:22

Presumably, this is somewhere where it's a bit of a hotspot for people

0:23:230:23:26

offending, is it? Yes, so quiet village location, a 30mph zone,

0:23:260:23:31

as there's a local school nearby, and people don't pay any attention

0:23:310:23:35

to the 30mph limits.

0:23:350:23:36

That's a particularly bad area for people to be speeding.

0:23:360:23:39

Obviously, there's a school by there.

0:23:390:23:41

Yeah, we've had complaints from local residents.

0:23:410:23:43

They can't get on and off their driveways safely

0:23:430:23:47

without fear of being run down by a speeding car.

0:23:470:23:50

'Anybody caught speeding today could be looking at an on-the-spot fine of

0:23:510:23:55

'?100 and three penalty points on their licence.'

0:23:550:23:59

OK, so this is the road that we'll be doing the speed check on.

0:23:590:24:01

We've just passed the village primary school back there,

0:24:010:24:04

and it's a 40mph zone.

0:24:040:24:06

It's changing to 30 now as we enter the built-up area.

0:24:060:24:09

'Outside a school? Well, it doesn't bear thinking about.'

0:24:090:24:12

I'm assuming you've been to some horrific scenes

0:24:140:24:16

that have been caused by

0:24:160:24:18

people either being on the phone or speeding or texting or whatever,

0:24:180:24:21

have you? Yeah, most definitely.

0:24:210:24:23

How do you feel about that? How does it affect you?

0:24:230:24:25

I've got images in my head that will

0:24:270:24:29

stay with me for the rest of my life.

0:24:290:24:31

Yeah. Um, from scenes of fatal road traffic collisions,

0:24:310:24:35

where distraction or speed

0:24:350:24:37

or something like that has been involved,

0:24:370:24:40

and I worry for my children growing up. It's quite upsetting. Yeah.

0:24:400:24:44

Because, underneath the uniform,

0:24:440:24:46

every police officer in the country has got a soft side.

0:24:460:24:48

You're only human, aren't you? Yeah, we're not robots.

0:24:480:24:51

'Time to get to work. Shelley's speed gun uses a narrow beam,

0:24:530:24:57

'which bounces off the approaching vehicle and can give

0:24:570:25:00

'an accurate speed reading from up to a mile away.'

0:25:000:25:03

Now, if you do see somebody approaching from either direction

0:25:030:25:06

and they are speeding, what will you do?

0:25:060:25:08

So, if they're doing in excess of 33, we'll pull them in.

0:25:080:25:11

Anything over 40, then we'd be looking at prosecuting them.

0:25:110:25:14

Fair enough.

0:25:140:25:15

'It's only a matter of minutes

0:25:170:25:19

'before Shelley spots her first offender.'

0:25:190:25:21

Hello. Hello. Thank you for stopping.

0:25:230:25:26

'Could this be her first fine of the shift?'

0:25:260:25:28

Do you know why I've stopped you today?

0:25:280:25:30

No. Do you know what the speed limit is on the road?

0:25:300:25:33

30. I thought I was doing about 30.

0:25:330:25:35

You were doing 39, actually. Was I?

0:25:350:25:37

The speed limit starts way further back.

0:25:370:25:40

It's painted on the road in red as well.

0:25:400:25:43

As you came over the brow of the hill, approaching the cyclist...

0:25:430:25:46

Yeah. ..you were doing 39mph.

0:25:460:25:48

OK, so let's have a look at the facts of this one.

0:25:500:25:53

This guy was doing 39 in a 30 zone.

0:25:530:25:56

Bearing in mind there's a school just a bit further along this road,

0:25:560:26:00

is it to be a summons, a fine or just a stiff warning?

0:26:000:26:04

So that's why I've stopped you.

0:26:040:26:06

All right? Now, at that speed,

0:26:060:26:08

it's below the threshold for me to give you a ticket,

0:26:080:26:11

but it is a 30mph limit.

0:26:110:26:13

9mph over is not acceptable really.

0:26:130:26:16

OK. OK.

0:26:160:26:17

'This chap's escaped a ?100 fine. It must be his lucky day.'

0:26:170:26:22

Can I ask you an honest opinion now?

0:26:250:26:26

How do you feel about speeding fines?

0:26:260:26:29

I think you have to have them.

0:26:300:26:32

You know, I mean, none of us like them.

0:26:320:26:34

None of us like to get caught,

0:26:340:26:36

particularly if we're only doing a few miles over,

0:26:360:26:39

but if we didn't have them, it would be chaos.

0:26:390:26:42

You said you were 78.

0:26:420:26:43

Yeah. Why is it that the older generation are the ones who

0:26:430:26:46

are not doing the job properly?

0:26:460:26:48

Probably because it's so long since we were at driving school. OK.

0:26:480:26:51

You've fallen into bad habits. Yes. OK.

0:26:510:26:54

All right, you've learnt your lesson, haven't you? Thanks, Brian.

0:26:540:26:56

'But I'm not sure the next driver

0:26:580:27:01

'Shelley's clocked, doing 37 in a 30 zone, can use the same excuse.'

0:27:010:27:06

Obviously, you got pulled over there. Yeah. Tell me the reason why?

0:27:060:27:09

I was going just above the speed limit in a housed area.

0:27:090:27:13

OK, a residential area.

0:27:130:27:14

When you say just above the speed limit, what were you doing? 37.

0:27:140:27:17

In a... Yes, exactly, so it

0:27:170:27:18

was a little bit more than just above, wasn't it? Yeah, no, yeah.

0:27:180:27:23

How do you feel about the officers

0:27:230:27:25

who just pulled you over for doing that speed limit?

0:27:250:27:27

I think, I don't know, like, if your parents tell you,

0:27:270:27:30

you listen, but if someone else tells you, it kind of like...

0:27:300:27:34

it hits home more. Yeah. So, yeah, no. I understand.

0:27:340:27:38

Were you aware you were doing 37? I didn't realise I was that over.

0:27:380:27:42

I knew I was a little bit. You knew you were speeding.

0:27:420:27:45

I didn't realise that much.

0:27:450:27:47

It's easy to do.

0:27:470:27:48

Had they been a little bit harder with you and they could have been...

0:27:480:27:51

I know they obviously could have been.

0:27:510:27:53

If you'd got points and a fine, how would you feel?

0:27:530:27:55

A bit gutted. I don't think my mum would have been too happy.

0:27:550:27:58

Will it change the way you're going to drive, not just today,

0:27:580:28:01

but for the considerable future?

0:28:010:28:03

It has made me think a bit more, I feel.

0:28:030:28:07

So, yeah, definitely.

0:28:070:28:09

She was obviously the youngest driver you pulled over today,

0:28:090:28:11

only 18 years old. Because she's such a new driver,

0:28:110:28:14

she's only had her licence less than a year now,

0:28:140:28:16

the penalties could be a lot more severe, couldn't they?

0:28:160:28:19

Yes, so, as a new driver, if you accumulate six points within

0:28:190:28:22

the first two years of driving, your licence gets revoked

0:28:220:28:24

and you have to take your test again.

0:28:240:28:26

And you hear it's very hard to get booked in for a test,

0:28:260:28:29

finding a space these days, let alone pass it first time.

0:28:290:28:32

So it could cost them a lot of money.

0:28:320:28:34

If they then rely on their licence for work, they could lose their job.

0:28:340:28:38

From her point of view, I don't think

0:28:380:28:40

she realises just how lucky she was, does she?

0:28:400:28:42

No, and you often find these young drivers,

0:28:420:28:44

they get into the car,

0:28:440:28:46

they've got this new-found freedom, and they just take for granted

0:28:460:28:50

modern technology... Yeah. ..the condition of the vehicle,

0:28:500:28:53

but they are the most impressionable people that we meet.

0:28:530:28:56

And I think she will learn something from this experience today.

0:28:560:29:00

'Let's hope so. But when it comes to speeding,

0:29:000:29:03

'there doesn't appear to be an age limit.'

0:29:030:29:06

There seems to be an awful lot of people today

0:29:060:29:08

who are doing in the high 30s, between 30-39,

0:29:080:29:13

I'd say it's probably about one in every ten cars.

0:29:130:29:16

It's quite shocking, really.

0:29:160:29:18

43.

0:29:200:29:21

PC Buxton has caught another speeder.

0:29:220:29:25

Let's look at the facts of this one.

0:29:250:29:28

This driver has gone way over the threshold, doing 43 in a 30 zone.

0:29:280:29:33

Could this mean an on-the-spot fine, or worse?

0:29:330:29:35

I'm reporting you for consideration of the question of

0:29:370:29:39

prosecuting you for speeding... Right.

0:29:390:29:42

..for speeding at 30 with manned equipment.

0:29:420:29:44

You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you

0:29:440:29:46

do not mention now something which you later rely on in court,

0:29:460:29:49

and anything you do say may be given in evidence.

0:29:490:29:51

'He's been done.

0:29:510:29:53

'It could be a court summons and a possible driving ban.'

0:29:530:29:56

Is there anything you want me to report as your reply

0:29:560:29:58

as being reported for speeding? No, nothing at all. Bang to rights.

0:29:580:30:01

Simple as. Will what's happened today

0:30:010:30:03

affect the way you drive from here on? Probably not.

0:30:030:30:07

So you'll continue to push your luck whenever you can?

0:30:070:30:10

It's not a case of pushing my luck.

0:30:100:30:12

Like I've said, I've just come out of the dentist

0:30:120:30:14

and not feeling too brilliant and all the rest of it

0:30:140:30:17

after my treatment. I just couldn't wait to get home.

0:30:170:30:19

Just distracted. So I don't think I'm a bad driver in general,

0:30:190:30:22

just the situation of today.

0:30:220:30:24

And that was that.

0:30:240:30:25

Should you receive a fine now and/or another three points,

0:30:250:30:28

how would you feel about that? Pay it and that's it.

0:30:280:30:31

'He might think differently if he knew that a young person is

0:30:310:30:35

'seriously injured on the UK's roads every ten minutes.'

0:30:350:30:39

Cheerio. Bye-bye. Now, there is someone who has just received

0:30:390:30:42

what's called a NIT, which is a Notice of Intended Prosecution.

0:30:420:30:45

He is almost certainly going to end up with a fine and points.

0:30:450:30:49

I can't predict that 100%, of course.

0:30:490:30:51

43 in a 30, with a school coming up.

0:30:510:30:54

It was a bit naughty. Didn't seem that bothered at all.

0:30:540:30:58

Horses for courses, I suppose, as they say.

0:30:580:31:01

In Crawley, West Sussex,

0:31:050:31:07

the council are determined to combat antisocial behaviour in the town.

0:31:070:31:12

We just had a call from the police that there's an abandoned caravan,

0:31:130:31:19

I believe. Someone's using it to use needles,

0:31:190:31:21

and they leave quite a lot in there.

0:31:210:31:23

It's on private land, so it's quite hard to get rid of this caravan.

0:31:230:31:28

But someone is using it.

0:31:280:31:30

Sam Lucas and Naveed Ur-Rehman are council community wardens.

0:31:300:31:35

They've been called to a report of an abandoned vehicle

0:31:350:31:38

being used as a drug den.

0:31:380:31:40

We get the reports from the people living around there

0:31:400:31:43

that there's needles in there again. So..

0:31:430:31:45

Sam and Naveed's priority is to reduce antisocial behaviour,

0:31:470:31:51

including anything that might pose a risk to the public.

0:31:510:31:55

Needles are obviously hazardous waste.

0:31:550:31:59

And they can carry lots of diseases, so, we try to...

0:31:590:32:02

..respond within half an hour, really,

0:32:040:32:05

when we get a needles call to pick them up as soon as possible,

0:32:050:32:08

because we don't want anyone touching them.

0:32:080:32:10

But it's not the vehicle they were expecting.

0:32:130:32:16

Guessing it's this one.

0:32:170:32:19

Yes, it's this. It's not a caravan.

0:32:200:32:22

It's got needles underneath,

0:32:230:32:24

so I need to go and get our equipment

0:32:240:32:27

to get them removed, basically.

0:32:270:32:30

It's not a caravan. I swear it was a caravan. An abandoned car, or...

0:32:300:32:33

Do you want to do it? Yeah.

0:32:330:32:35

If Sam and Naveed can find the owner of this car,

0:32:370:32:40

then a hefty fine for abandoning it could be on its way.

0:32:400:32:45

Do you live here, sir? Yeah.

0:32:450:32:47

Right, we just had a call regarding there's used needles in the area.

0:32:470:32:51

Yeah. Have you seen people coming here taking drugs

0:32:510:32:54

or, like, drinking, other stuff?

0:32:540:32:56

Most of the people are drinking when I see them.

0:32:560:32:59

OK, yeah. Where do they drink? Right over here? Over there.

0:32:590:33:03

It's not nice, because I can see you've got a child there.

0:33:030:33:06

If like there's needles over here, so that's really dangerous.

0:33:060:33:09

What I can do is, I'll give you a warden's card...

0:33:090:33:11

May as well, because if you want to speak to me.

0:33:110:33:13

If you see them taking drugs or smoking drugs, just ring 999.

0:33:130:33:17

OK. OK? Thank you, sir. Thank you. Have a good day. Cheers.

0:33:170:33:20

This abandoned car is being used as a drugs den right underneath

0:33:200:33:23

a block of residential flats, but with kids around,

0:33:230:33:27

it's urgent that Naveed and Sam make the area safe.

0:33:270:33:30

When we arrived, there was a parent with his child walking along.

0:33:300:33:35

And,at even a few feet away,

0:33:350:33:37

there were three needles that were exposed,

0:33:370:33:39

so that kid could have easily

0:33:390:33:41

picked it up and stabbed himself without his dad looking.

0:33:410:33:45

So it is a safety risk to the residents.

0:33:450:33:48

And the state inside the car is not very nice either.

0:33:520:33:55

There's condoms.

0:33:550:33:57

There's loads of packets of syringes.

0:33:570:33:59

But there's none actually in there, I don't think. Empty. Yeah.

0:34:010:34:04

It gets worse. The car is unlocked,

0:34:040:34:07

so the drug paraphernalia could easily end up in the wrong hands.

0:34:070:34:11

Right, done. The fact is, abandoning a vehicle is an offence,

0:34:170:34:21

but was the car ditched or stolen and dumped?

0:34:210:34:24

They've noted the registration.

0:34:260:34:29

If the car's been dumped and not stolen,

0:34:290:34:31

they can track the owner through the DVLA,

0:34:310:34:34

and a ?200 fine could be on its way.

0:34:340:34:37

I will make a note and just pass it over to the abandoned vehicles.

0:34:370:34:43

It's on private land, though. Yeah.

0:34:430:34:45

They've got the power to remove the vehicle from private land.

0:34:450:34:48

Now that Naveed and Sam have made the vehicle safe,

0:34:480:34:51

the council clean-up team can get to work,

0:34:510:34:53

which is good news for the residents.

0:34:530:34:55

Today, I'm in Eastbourne in East Sussex.

0:35:000:35:03

Parking, what a complete and utter headache it is.

0:35:060:35:10

Especially when you're in a hurry,

0:35:100:35:12

and we all know how easy it is to dive

0:35:120:35:14

into a spot that we know we shouldn't be parked in,

0:35:140:35:16

because we'll only be five minutes in the shop.

0:35:160:35:19

But there are some people who aren't that fortunate,

0:35:190:35:21

and, of course, I'm talking about the registered disabled.

0:35:210:35:24

There are people out there whose job it is to make sure those bays go to

0:35:240:35:29

the people who need them.

0:35:290:35:30

You might not believe it, but blue-badge fraud is rife.

0:35:320:35:37

And a shocking one in five of these vital lifelines is abused.

0:35:370:35:40

Can I just have a look at your badge you've got displayed there? Lovely.

0:35:400:35:44

I'm joining council investigating officer Mark Jobling.

0:35:440:35:47

Who does the badge belong to? Is it your badge?

0:35:470:35:50

It's your badge, OK.

0:35:500:35:52

'He's scouring the high street trying to stamp out

0:35:520:35:55

'the fraudulent use of blue badges.' Thank you very much.

0:35:550:35:58

Thank you. Have a good day.

0:35:580:36:00

'And it's a serious business as drivers

0:36:000:36:03

'who flout the rules could get up to a ?1,000 fine.

0:36:030:36:07

'Blue badges are such valuable items,

0:36:070:36:09

'some owners don't like to let them out of their sight.' Good morning.

0:36:090:36:13

Can I have a look at the blue badge you've got displayed there, please?

0:36:130:36:17

Sorry?

0:36:170:36:19

Can you actually hand it to me? I actually need to inspect the badge.

0:36:190:36:21

'It looks like Mark's got his hands full with this one.'

0:36:210:36:24

Here's my identity.

0:36:240:36:26

Can I just explain something to you, OK?

0:36:260:36:29

I'm lawfully allowed to inspect the badge, which I will hand back to you

0:36:300:36:34

after inspecting the badge, OK?

0:36:340:36:36

Now, there's two offences.

0:36:360:36:37

First of all if the badge is being used by somebody that shouldn't,

0:36:370:36:40

and, secondly, it's an offence for you

0:36:400:36:42

not to allow me to inspect the badge also. OK?

0:36:420:36:45

Do you mind if I have a look at it?

0:36:450:36:46

Thank you very much. Does the badge belong to yourself? Yes.

0:36:460:36:49

OK. So there you go.

0:36:490:36:52

Thank you very much for your time.

0:36:520:36:54

That's OK. Thank you for your time.

0:36:560:36:58

I noticed then, when the enforcement officer came up and asked to see

0:36:580:37:01

your badge, you were reluctant to show it to him. Why was that?

0:37:010:37:04

Well, they tell you be very careful with these things,

0:37:040:37:08

because people do steal them and have stolen them.

0:37:080:37:12

And, um, they then use them for their own convenience. Yes.

0:37:120:37:17

Yeah, that's exactly what he's checking out today.

0:37:170:37:19

What do you think of the people that might steal the badges or sell them?

0:37:190:37:22

Well, I do think it's very bad for people who can't walk and who

0:37:220:37:27

desperately need these things or are short of breath, like I get.

0:37:270:37:32

And I do find that very sad that people have to do that

0:37:320:37:37

and deprive real people of the badges. Yeah.

0:37:370:37:41

Real disabled people, yes. Yes.

0:37:410:37:43

'But not handing over your badge when asked by an official

0:37:450:37:48

'could leave you in big trouble.'

0:37:480:37:50

I heard you say it's actually an offence for somebody not to show you

0:37:500:37:53

their badge or pass it over to you when you request it, yeah?

0:37:530:37:55

It absolutely is. So if she'd said,

0:37:550:37:57

"On your bike," what could have happened?

0:37:570:37:59

Well, what can happen, we can then look into prosecuting somebody for

0:37:590:38:02

failure to allow the badge to be inspected and also

0:38:020:38:05

make enquiries in relation to who the badge actually belonged to.

0:38:050:38:09

But obviously you don't want to do that. She was just a nice lady being

0:38:090:38:11

overcautious, wasn't she? So it all worked out OK in the end.

0:38:110:38:14

It worked out fine. I think she was reluctant, understandably, to hand

0:38:140:38:16

her badge over, to think thatsomebody might snatch it and

0:38:160:38:19

run away with it. It's probably cos you had this ugly moosh behind you,

0:38:190:38:22

that's what it was. Well, it's not great, is it?

0:38:220:38:24

Well, you said it. I agree with it.

0:38:240:38:26

'But the problem is more than just stolen badges.

0:38:260:38:29

'It's also about improper use by the rightful owner.

0:38:290:38:33

'And the rules are stricter than you might think.'

0:38:330:38:36

Can you tell me who the badge belongs to? Me. OK.

0:38:360:38:38

Is that your good lady that's just gone off? Yes. OK.

0:38:380:38:41

Are you aware that, when you're using the badge,

0:38:410:38:43

that you should, as the disabled person, the badge holder,

0:38:430:38:46

you should be the one who is actually getting out of the car and

0:38:460:38:49

not sitting in the car while your passenger

0:38:490:38:51

or anybody does something else? No, I didn't know that.

0:38:510:38:53

This chap has a valid blue badge displayed,

0:38:550:38:58

but as he's still in the car,

0:38:580:39:00

he's not using it properly.

0:39:000:39:02

So how to deal with the offence?

0:39:020:39:04

Mark is within his rights to confiscate his badge

0:39:040:39:07

or issue him with a court summons,

0:39:070:39:09

where he could be hit with a fine of up to ?1,000.

0:39:090:39:13

So what's the procedure, then? No, you're good.

0:39:130:39:16

'This time, it's just a friendly warning.'

0:39:160:39:18

Thank you very much for your time. Cheers. Have a good day.

0:39:180:39:21

That's a bit of the rules

0:39:210:39:22

which that guy, a genuine blue-badge holder, didn't know,

0:39:220:39:25

I didn't know, you obviously do, it's your job.

0:39:250:39:27

Explain to me what was going on there and what was wrong?

0:39:270:39:29

The correct use of the badge is for the disabled person.

0:39:290:39:31

Which makes sense. For that disabled person to be able to get out

0:39:310:39:35

of the vehicle and be able to access where they need to be.

0:39:350:39:37

In this case, technically, the passenger is using the badge,

0:39:370:39:41

because she's actually gone off to get camomile lotion for herself,

0:39:410:39:45

so the badge is being used by her.

0:39:450:39:47

What seems quite odd about that,

0:39:470:39:49

he's a guy with a disability, he's parked up, quite legitimately,

0:39:490:39:52

he's put his badge up, but the fact that he's got his supposedly healthy

0:39:520:39:57

partner or wife to go and get the shopping,

0:39:570:40:00

that is actually an offence, isn't it?

0:40:000:40:02

If he went off and she was sitting in the vehicle,

0:40:020:40:04

there would be absolutely no problem.

0:40:040:40:06

He's accessing the facilities, he's using the badge.

0:40:060:40:08

But you'd have to be a pretty cold-hearted person to give them any

0:40:080:40:11

sort of ticket or reprimand on that, wouldn't you?

0:40:110:40:13

I think my biggest concern is that the genuine badge holder is

0:40:130:40:16

actually present. But however, we would advise people, you know,

0:40:160:40:20

in relation to the correct way of using the badge. Yeah.

0:40:200:40:24

'Most blue badges are issued to older people with mobility problems,

0:40:240:40:28

'but many younger people need them too. Like this guy, Mark.'

0:40:280:40:33

Now, I know you said it's OK if I ask you about your disability,

0:40:330:40:35

so what's wrong?

0:40:350:40:36

I've got a prolapsed disc, sciatica down my leg.

0:40:360:40:39

Are you in pain quite a lot? Yes, all day, every day at the moment.

0:40:390:40:42

You have a blue badge, cos I saw you putting it on the car.

0:40:420:40:44

Have you ever pulled up at a spot and seen people parked in your bays

0:40:440:40:47

that shouldn't be there? Yeah. I've seen them a couple of times

0:40:470:40:49

with people with kids trying to get in their cars and not using the

0:40:490:40:52

bay properly. Have you ever actually challenged somebody about it?

0:40:520:40:55

I have in Tesco's, yeah, in the car park in Tesco.

0:40:550:40:57

A gent was parking there and he was in a van and he said he couldn't

0:40:570:41:00

park anywhere else, cos there was not enough space and I said,

0:41:000:41:02

"Well, that's not the point. It's a disabled bay and I need it,

0:41:020:41:05

"cos it saves me having to walk too far."

0:41:050:41:06

He weren't too keen on helping me out, so I had to end up parking

0:41:060:41:09

in the bay that I couldn't really get out of the door.

0:41:090:41:11

So he didn't even have the decency to move? No, he wouldn't move.

0:41:110:41:14

So I've had a few experiences like that.

0:41:140:41:15

Right now, send a message out there to anybody who uses disabled bays

0:41:150:41:19

that isn't entitled to them. Just be more courteous, really.

0:41:190:41:22

Think about others, think about what they, you know,

0:41:220:41:24

if someone's got to walk a distance and they can't,

0:41:240:41:26

be a bit more considerate, really, and look at what you're doing.

0:41:260:41:28

Think about what you're doing and what other people need from it.

0:41:280:41:31

That's what it's there for.

0:41:310:41:33

The disabled bays, in particular, are there for people that need them.

0:41:330:41:36

So think about what you're doing.

0:41:360:41:37

You heard Mark. Now behave yourself. That's right. Yep.

0:41:370:41:40

'Message received.

0:41:400:41:41

'As there's so much misuse,

0:41:430:41:45

'each badge contains information, like the driver's year of birth,

0:41:450:41:49

'so the council can check they really are who they say they are.'

0:41:490:41:52

Is your instinct telling you anything's wrong here?

0:41:520:41:54

Not particularly. Again, it's a relatively young badge holder,

0:41:540:41:57

so what we'll do is ring through and

0:41:570:41:58

see if we can match a registration in relation to the badge.

0:41:580:42:01

Yeah. Born 1924. That's someone who's 92 years old. That age, yeah.

0:42:040:42:08

Should they be behind the wheel?

0:42:080:42:10

Is it a good day for you if you don't issue any penalties,

0:42:120:42:16

or is that a bad day? I think, you know...

0:42:160:42:19

The biggest part of this role is taking away the misuse,

0:42:190:42:22

and I view it very much, if we end up not coming across

0:42:220:42:26

any misuse in a day, that can only be seen as a good thing.

0:42:260:42:30

It would only suggest we're doing our jobs correctly

0:42:300:42:33

in trying to eliminate the misuse of the badges.

0:42:330:42:35

Yeah, but you sort the problem out, you're out of a job.

0:42:350:42:38

I don't think it's going to be eliminated completely,

0:42:380:42:40

to be perfectly honest. OK.

0:42:400:42:42

There's such a vast amount of misuse in relation to badges,

0:42:420:42:46

so I think we'll take some time to completely eliminate it.

0:42:460:42:49

You think you're safe for a while? I think I'm safe for a while yet. OK.

0:42:490:42:52

'But with blue-badge fraud prosecutions in England

0:42:520:42:55

'doubling in three years, I don't think Mark's going anywhere soon.'

0:42:550:42:59

That's all for today. Join me next time,

0:43:010:43:03

when I'll be with the men and the women on the front line of fines

0:43:030:43:06

with more Dom On The Spot.

0:43:060:43:08

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