Police seize innocent driver’s car - then tweet picture

A MOTORIST wrongly accused of driving without insurance has accused police of tweeting a picture of his seized car before he could prove his innocence.
Nathan Phipps had his car seized, then watched as a traffic officer tweeted a picture. Pictures: Ross Parry AgencyNathan Phipps had his car seized, then watched as a traffic officer tweeted a picture. Pictures: Ross Parry Agency
Nathan Phipps had his car seized, then watched as a traffic officer tweeted a picture. Pictures: Ross Parry Agency

Security guard Nathan Phipps, 34, was taking his newly-purchased Renault Clio for a test drive near Skipton when he was ordered to pull over.

He told his car was being seized and that he would be charged with driving without insurance, an offence that carries a £300 fine and six penalty points.

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The traffic officer placed a sticker on the car, then took a picture of it and sent it to Twitter with the message, “Finished the day as started, another no insurance £seized”.

Nathan Phipps had his car seized, then watched as a traffic officer tweeted a picture. Pictures: Ross Parry AgencyNathan Phipps had his car seized, then watched as a traffic officer tweeted a picture. Pictures: Ross Parry Agency
Nathan Phipps had his car seized, then watched as a traffic officer tweeted a picture. Pictures: Ross Parry Agency

Mr Phipps took his insurance documents to a local police station the following day, and was told the charge would be dropped, but that he would still be liable for a £150 release fee.

He has now lodged an official complaint against the North Yorkshire officer who stopped him.

Mr Phipps, of Earby, near Keighley, said: “I’m absolutely disgusted. It was my girlfriend’s car and we had just bought it. I knew I was covered by my third party insurance and I was absolutely positive I had all the documents at home to prove it.

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“I told the officer this when he stopped me but he wouldn’t listen.

“But what really annoyed me was when I saw what he was doing on his phone. When he started taking the picture of my car, I asked him what he was doing and he said he had a Twitter account and he and a few of the lads had a good laugh about it. I said I didn’t find it funny at all.”

North Yorkshire Police confirmed the complaint was being investigated.