Your thoughts on this please

[miasmum]

I would be grateful for your comments on the following situation

My mother in law has received a letter from the police. It states that on 19th May at 3.30pm her car (reg number, make and model quoted) was seen in the vicinity of the Cardigan Arms public house car park, being driven in a reckless manner, liable to cause danger to the public.

She has never been to this pub, she hadn't even heard of it before this letter. She had a form to fill in, one of those 'are you driver?' If not who was the driver" type forms which she completed saying she was not the driver. It says in the letter they will not divulge any further information on the incident without the form. She took it to the police and was then sent somewhere else with it. She told them it was not her and she says the lady said "don't worry about it" She didn't bother asking anymore

So that was it, she walked out and is happy with that albeit a bit confused.

I am concerned on several points. I would like them to write to her to say she can ignore this letter, she didn't even get the name of the lady she spoke to. She is 80, deaf and gets a bit muddled. But does this mean if someone annoys you, you can just ring the police report their car as above and they get a letter? When did hersay become legal?

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what, if anything, we should do please?

[Osc]

If it wasn't on camera, perhaps it is a simple error with the reg number? Can you or Mr Shell go to the other place where she brought the form, (or phone), explain about MIL's age, deafness and tendency to getting muddled, and ask what is happening?

[miasmum]

I can try Osc, but as far as she is concerned she has sorted it and gets all defensive that we think she isn't capable

I am just worried this will rear its ugly head again in a few weeks and she has no name to quote

[Aggers]

If it wasn't on camera, perhaps it is a simple error with the reg number? Can you or Mr Shell go to the other place where she brought the form, (or phone), explain about MIL's age, deafness and tendency to getting muddled, and ask what is happening?

I wouldn't recommend that. It might suggest that she shouldn't be driving.

[pederito1]

Never volunteer anything. She should just say "No recollection of being in that vicinity on the day and at the time reported"

[Workingman]

It is probably too late now, but I would have wanted to know who reported the incident - police officer, PCSO or a member of the public and is there any CCTV evidence or speed-gun evidence?

It is fundamentally wrong for a person to be accused on hearsay, but if that is to be the case the accused must be given every opportunity to defend themselves, and that includes a review of any "evidence" and the name(s) of their accuser(s).

This is the UK not E.Germany under the Stasi.

[miasmum]

Absolutely WM that is exactly how I feel