Police dispute bully claim

Greater Manchester Police has responded to claims that leaflets distributed with speeding tickets bully motorists into accepting fines. 

The force denies the leaflets are bullying. Make up your own mind by reading the leaflet here.

Read our original story, below.

The police have been accused of bullying motorists into pleading guilty to speeding – even if they are innocent.

Anyone sent a speeding ticket by Greater Manchester Police also receives a leaflet warning of the punishment for trying to avoid prosecution.

The leaflet, called ‘A Book of Tricks’, lists several claims made by drivers to ‘cheat’ the system. Where any false claim is suspected, it says officers will personally visit the motorist either at home or work. It also warns that fighting your case in court could land you with a bigger fine or imprisonment.

But the Association of British Drivers says some of the ‘cheats’ could be legitimate defences. An ABD spokesman said the leaflet was an attempt to bully motorists into accepting points and a fine.

“Some of the defences listed by the police – for example, where an illegally ‘cloned’ car has been caught on camera, or where the driver honestly cannot say who was driving at the time – may be perfectly legitimate,” said the spokesman. “It’s bad enough for an innocent motorsist to receive an undeserved notice of prosecution, without being subjected to the threats in this booklet – it should be withdrawn.”