Paying the price

THE nonsensical world of officialdom is exemplified by the bizarre case of car theft victim Sarah McDonald-Lee – and how she had to pay £150 to recover her abandoned vehicle from the police.

By The Newsroom

Published 8th Feb 2010, 22:15 BST

Updated 8th Feb 2010, 22:15 BST

It just about sums up the extent to which law-abiding families are treated like common criminals by bureaucrats who insist that their guidelines must take precedence over common sense.

Is it any wonder, given this, that the public's respect for the police is so low? For not only did the thief make off with Mrs McDonald-Lee's car, but her three-year-old daughter was strapped in the back seat.

Fortunately, the Vauxhall Zafira was abandoned a short distance away – but it still left the victim with a 150 bill from the police and a 40 bill to remove the dust left behind by police who scoured the vehicle for fingerprint evidence.

In their defence, the police say rules are rules. Wouldn't it be better, however, if the police concentrated their resources on catching the thief in question (who still remains at large) rather than penalising victims of crime?