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Speeding-fine author cries foul over laser
Mark Branagan A former vicar turned best-selling author is making a formal complaint against North Yorkshire Police over a speeding conviction – claiming the force broke the rules by not using the laser gun properly.
Graham Taylor, who was vicar of Cloughton, near Scarborough, before becoming a millionaire supernatural writer and TV presenter, was fined 105 by the town's magistrates, who also imposed three penalty points on his licence.
Mr Taylor was allegedly clocked at 45mph in a 30 mile limit in a Hyundai people carrier on Scarborough's Marine Drive last November. But although he pleaded guilty on Monday he now plans to make a formal complaint and will consider an appeal.
He claims the officer had his car windows wound up against the cold when he used the laser gun – projecting the beam both through his glass and the windows of an adjacent parked car.
The Association of Chief Police Officers' guidelines state the beam should not be projected through mirrors or glass because of the risk of reflection and refraction affecting the reading.
Mr Taylor, 45, of Scalby, Scarborough, a former police officer who has had a clean licence for 24 years, said yesterday: "After conviction I was told that what had happened was against force policy.
"There have been so many problems with the Pro laser III gun that they have issued guidelines three months ago for officers not to use them through police car glass – let alone another vehicle. They are also told that the device must be calibrated every day, but no evidence of calibration was supplied."
He believed motorists were being used as "easy pickings" so officers could boost performance-related pay.
He told the court he had been driving behind another vehicle in darkness when he noticed a marked police car in a cafe area hidden behind another parked vehicle. The vehicle in front suddenly braked and he overtook to avoid an accident – thereby briefly exceeding the limit.
A police spokesman said yesterday: "Speed limits are not imposed for the entertainment of police officers or the enrichment of the Home Office. They are there to protect life – simple as that.
"The fact Mr Taylor pleaded guilty to speeding speaks for itself. If accepting his admission of guilt, he wants to point out some police procedures which he believes to be faulty then he should relay that information to Eastern Area Police, who will study his information carefully.
"There is no correlation between police officers' pay and the number of speed checks made. There is every connection between the number of speed checks made and this force's determination and continuing commitment to road safety and the protection of the public we serve."
Richard Bentley, a retired Scarborough traffic officer now a consultant and expert witness for the courts on traffic matters, said: "The ACPO code of practice states the beam must not be projected through glass or mirrors."
Some experts have claimed that not holding the gun steady or projecting the beam incorrectly can result in errors of between 8mph to 20mph in readings – but this has always been hotly contested by the police, he added.
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Saturday 11 February 2012
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