Notice of Intended Prosecution. Sent Recorded and has been signed for - Police are denying receipt

[NGC2017]

Hi Everyone

Forgive me if this becomes long but I am really upset.

Two weeks ago I received a Notice of Intended Prosecution for an offence I do not believe I was involved in. Following 2 calls with the Central Ticketing Office I returned the form completed, confirming I was the driver but with a letter requesting further information and evidence as their letter didn’t actually show me the offence it was alleged I had committed. I still have no recollection of this, but of course this letter was mortifying and I complied with their instructions to return within 28 days. I have since received 3 emails from the CTO to say they have not received my documentation and my 28 days is nearly up. I returned everything to them over a week ago now via First Class Recorded Delivery. It was signed for the following day which I have a signature for, however the Police are saying they haven’t received anything and that the tracking is irrelevant, and can I send the originals again. I have stressed how can I do this as I have already sent originals, photos and letter and I have proof of delivery.

I haven’t heard back from them yet but I am really upset about this. I have even had a friend, who has a traffic officer friend look at the NIP for me and I was told the photos are very strange and don’t show anything, but to send the completed form back, which of course I did. What upsets me more is I have no recollection of anything taking place. That particular journey I had my Mom and son in the car and not one of us saw anything. I am a single parent, of good character. I do not go around breaking the law. I have never had a flaw on my driving record. I genuinely do not feel this has taken place but after seeking legal advice I have been advised it is very rare these things are overturned so to just to accept. This upsets me as I feel it is a flaw on my character and I can assure you if I have done something wrong, I would own up to it. I have admitted being the driver but I honestly don’t know what took place during the alleged offence, but I can remember every detail of the day even down to the customers I saw at work and what I spent to the penny in shops, but I have no recollection of committing any offence.

And now they are asking for originals to be sent again, when RM have confirmed delivery of on 29/03/18. I feel like im being set up. The next step I have read is that I will be issued a court date for not sending back requested information, and my fine and points will increase for failing to comply.

Can anyone offer any advice here? Thank you in advance

Thanks @blueskyinmarch it is, but it boiled down to fairness.
Maybe it was a blessing that I had been spoken to so badly resulting in someone taking ownership, as otherwise it may have just been sent for processing and it would have gone ahead without it being reviewed.
I genuinely knew nothing untoward had happened on that journey and no matter how many times I went over it I couldn't recall anything. It got to a point I felt abit bullied into agreeing to doing something I was confident I hadn't even done. But yes it's a huge relief someone saw my side and agreed

Great outcome!

This has made my afternoon !

So pleased for you .

And just goes to show ...questionable legal advice given to you
....questionable evidence .How did that happen ?
......worth persuing

Awww thanks guys. It does feel a victory.
I was mortified at the thought of being in trouble with the Police, and years ago I would have just cried and took whatever they gave me. As for the Solicitors, whether they are trained legally or not, the 'legal advice' still didn't feel fair. After many years of bullying and abuse in my life, i've learned to stand up for myself, especially when it comes down the the fairness of things. This wasn't fair, and even just being able to make my point felt enough of a victory. But the cancelling of the ticket was the best, and in my opinion the only outcome here.
I was always led to believe you cannot overturn these things, I was scared into believing than I had no control over their decision so it was in my best interests to just accept, which clearly isn't the case

By the way, it's 'Mum' not 'Mom'

Also, just wait for the court date! Then enjoy showing the Judge your Tracking details??

Or you could rift sickof and by the way "mom" is used in many parts of the UK as a gazillion threads on here show.

Glad its all resolved now ngc - must be a relief!

Sorry didn't RTFT

By the way, it's 'Mum' not 'Mom'

Really? Was this needed?

It's Thomas the Tank Engine. Actually.

@SickofThomasTheTank not really sure how your comment was relevant about using Mum instead of my chosen Mom. I'm 31 and have always used Mom. Can't say its something thats ever bothered me enough to correct someone for using otherwise.

My point in updating this thread is because I won't be the only person that a similar situation could happen to, so hopefully its abit of hope that if you strongly feel something isnt right then to challenge it as you very may well be right

Your police friend who looked it up could get in a lot of trouble for that. Integrity is an essential part of the role.

Thank goodness you managed to speak to someone who didn't just parrot what the computer was telling them.

Just a little piece of advice for anyone sending important documents. Although First Class Recorded Signed For should be good enough, it really isn't secure or treated as important. I know several posties who tell me that if they sign for the delivery and post through the letterbox if no answer for example. It really isn't taken seriously by the post office informally.

I've been advised that anything important should be sent Registered Delivery and although it is much more expensive, it is taken seriously, the envelope is kept secure, is tracked at every stage and must be signed for by someone actually at the delivery address.

Glad it was sorted for you op!

Congratulations - didn't see the thread originally but great to see that it sorted itself out the right way eventually.

It beggars belief that they don't have a protocol for what to do when this happens - they must know that if they are getting sent lots of important things by post that occasionally there will be a problem because things do get lost in the post, even when sent tracked or recorded or whatever they call it now.

I can see that they might get piss takers who try it on, for which a different protocol is necessary - but that is obviously not the case here when you have proof of posting. And doubly so in your case when it's not a clear case that you missed a sign or inadvertently sped - you really want to actually talk to somebody who listens rather than spouts anything to get you off the phone.

Also concerning that the legal advice you had was so bad - I always get legal insurance as you never plan on needing it but worry you might get caught out by something like this - you want to feel that they too actually engage their brains when faced with a situation that is not cookie cutter simple... (well except in your case it did seem to be very simple and that there should have been an easy way to find out - which makes it even worse!).

But we’re in England? Really is one of my pet hates! It sounds ridiculous with a British accent.

ffs Sickof it is used in many parts of the UK and has been for many generations -it is not an americanism. - There was a thread not more than two weeks ago about it...

Sickof yes it’s widely used in many parts of the UK eg Midlands. Open your mind a little!

What British accent?
It's a pretty big place with many different ones.
I assume you mean yours? And its superior to the others?

Besides which sickoff - how is it your place to tell the OP how she should refer to her own female parent??

My friends police friend did not access any databases. She literally read over the wording and confirmed it was legitimate but the photos didnt make sense. She also encouraged me to correspond so i can't see how casting her eye over the wording could get her in trouble as she hasn't looked at any private records or my specific record on the Police computers? Or am I mistaken?

I am in fact from the Midlands, so thats probably why I use Mom but still dont see the relevance

Really pleased for you.

So pleased for you OP, excellent result, and also cringing hard for SickOfThomasTheTank whose pointlessly rude comment shows her extremely limited knowledge of UK dialects or, I suspect, anything much outside her own narrow experiences.

So glad you updated this thread. I was getting more and more frustrated for you reading it. Glad it sorted.

I'm glad it's mostly been received how I wanted it to be.

It gives us a little hope that us normal citizens actually aren't as powerless as we are made to feel in these situations. But it has made me wonder how many people would just accept whatever is sent their way. And I have read many do. Of course I dont mean this for every case, as people do commit traffic offences, but for me I must have gone over the journey thousands of times in my head and I honestly had no idea what I could have done to receive their NIP and allegations. After the legal advice I had accepted my fate and chalked it up to experience. My letter to the Police was literally just to get my voice heard, but I have to admit the outcome was great, especially after so many people have said I didn't stand a chance.

Going back to the Police's position of integrity, I couldn’t agree more. However we are very naïve to think that all people who work within the Police service apply the same morals and principles. We often hear of cases in the media of corruption and officers using their positions for their own financial gain. In fact I used to work with someone who went on to be a Police Officer. Imagine the look on my face when I saw his face being plastered all over the papers for his part in a huge drugs bust which he was the centre of with 3 other officers. All have been jailed now, but my point is they do not all abide by the rules of their jobs, and my friend’s Police friend (sounds abit dodgy but honestly, I do not know this person) shouldn’t be scrutinized for looking at the letter to give me her opinion on whether she believed it was real or a scam. She didn't get me out of a ticket. She just gave an opinion.