Dad will not pay bus lane effective as he was truly in bus lane day earlier than to flee a riot
Lee Davies, 47, has been slapped with a fine for driving in a bus lane on August 4 – but he says he only did it on August 3 and that was to escape a riot
A dad has refused to pay his bus lane fine – because he was ‘driving away from a riot’.
Lee Davies had been slapped with the initial £70 fine after Stoke-on-Trent City Council accused him of driving on the Trinity Street bus lane, in Hanley, on Sunday, August 4, report StokeLive.
The penalty has now risen to £105 but the 47-year-old dad of two says he only drove along the bus lane on Saturday, August 3 – and only did so on police advice as he fled the Hanley riots. Lee has lodged an appeal against the penalty.
Lee, from Crewe, says his disabled wife and children were shopping in Primark when the riots erupted. He says a police officer told him to leave Hanley, he drove to Stafford Street to pick up his family, and had to drive along the bus lane because all other routes had been blocked.
Lee said: “I have explained everything to the council. The concern was getting my wife and children out of there because their safety was at risk. I’ve sent them evidence that I was there on the Saturday, and according to their camera, I was there on the Sunday. “They’ve threatened me with county court and debt collectors. I’ve said I’ll go to court because it looks like it is the only way I can prove I was there on the Saturday when the riots were happening.
“I wasn’t involved in the riots. That day was horrendous, it was bad, people were throwing rocks and bouncing on cars, all I wanted to do was get my family out of there.
“People feel like they have no choice when the letters are so threatening and there are plenty of vulnerable people who would be frightened by this and would end up paying the fine out of fear or worry.”
Stoke-on-Trent City Council remains adamant that Lee’s car was caught on camera at 1.30pm on Sunday, August 4.
A council spokesman said: “Our evidence clearly shows Mr Davies’ vehicle in the bus lane on Trinity Street, on Sunday 4 August at 1.30pm. The cameras are calibrated and footage is time and date stamped as required to be an approved enforcement device. Mr Davies was initially given a £35 penalty notice, which has now risen to £105, and this has since been appealed. The payment is still due to be made.”
