The police have reached a new low i'm afraid.

Middle of the week a friend heard the crash outside and saw the car involved, very distinctive in colour and model, reversing away from his sons car (which will be a write off) and speeding away, he dashed out and tried to give chase, of course the car gone but he lives in a very large village and using his local knowledge (which the police no longer appear to have) went to where he suspected it might be found and sure enough after about a dozen different small enclaves found the car, with its front smashed in, had been driven tight up to a garage and some bins put round it.

He took some photos, bloke comes out and starts spluttering he went home to get his insurance documents etc, some choice words exchanged.

Friend phones police, they ask if the other bloke had been drinking???, presumably because my friend isn't a walking breathalyser the police flatly refused to attend and gave him an incident number....when did leaving the scene of an accident become law?

It's all downhill from here, Northants by the way, criminals low life's and ne'er do wells appear to prosper here.

How dreadful that you should have been subject to this. I was in a similar situation as a passenger in a car. It is very stressful.

DVD is very knowledgeable and gives excellent advice far better than I can. I am sure that you will have the support of the entire forum so keep posting if you want views and encouragement.

It is shocking, both on account of the maniac driver (still on the road) and the unacceptable police response. Is it worth contacting the constituency office of your M.P. to express your disappointment with lack of help ?

Do make sure ( I expect you already have ) you let your children's teachers know about the situation. Hopefully they will get over the incident quickly but if schools are warned then they are aware of something that MAY affect behaviour.

I am, and always have been, supportive of our police force. However, where there are cases like this they should be taken to task. Very best wishes.

Edited by scot22 on 01/05/2016 at 10:07

This sort of alledged incident (Police behaviour, or lack thereof) has, in my view, nothing to do with who is the Home Secretary or government policy more generally - its more to do with the poor attitudes more generally within the Police forces in the UK, which are now more in line with people working more generally in the Public Sector, whereby the consumers of said service (the taxpaying public) are of a secondary concern to that of the workers themselves, rather than the other way around where they serve the needs of the public.

A local police officer I know is so reluctant to get involved in any issue that I have no idea why he does what he does for a living. Its almost as if he is completely risk-averse and would prefer to sit in the squad room drinking tea and chatting with his colleagues. Similarly in his life away from the force. Politicians have very little say in how Police Forces are run on a day-to-day basis (even the 'PCCs'), a bit like Civil Servants really running government departments and not their so-called 'political masters', all for their own self-interest and of their friends to keep them in a job without real responsibilities and accountability to the public at large, only acting when its PC (pardon the pun) or once a story has reached the media.

This tale comes as no surprise to me.

Sorry to read this catalogue of woe JadieBee. Unfortunately we now have a world where every toerag is protected by 'human rights'. All they need do is stick their head in the sand until it all goes away. Usually it does, because normal people eventually give up and move on, having a life to lead. It seems that 'officialdom' is reluctant to pursue anything which is not cut and dried for fear of transgressing 'human rights'. I wish it were that no-one could claim any rights until they have fulfilled their responsibilities, but sadly that day is far off until they make me president with ultimate power. My best advice is to stick at it and pursue every avenue to nail this toerag. That is the only way, you have to push and push. You have come this far, which is a long way, so stick at it. If you can identify this individual and get his address then you can easily start a prosecution in the Small Claims Court. It is relatively easy to do, although you have to pay some money to start proceedings, which you get back when you win. The evidence you have should be enough for this court where a judge will revue the evidence and make judgement on what he sees and what other evidence is given verbally. If you go this route, ensure the individual you are sueing has assets so he can pay you or the bailiffs can remove. Best of luck. Cheers Concrete

This is looking good - but you're not quite home and dry yet. Best wishes for a smooth ending.

It makes contributing to forums worthwhile when people are able to give support in cases like this. You have been an exemplary OP and keeping the forum informed is appreciated. Perhaps you will post when others may be facing problems and give the benefit of your experience.

I second previous posts.

Great result - thanks for the update.

Thanks for bringing things up to date, sounds like you have put this to bed so to speak, the insurance renewal cost for him should with any luck make the fines dished out seem miserly, good.

In other news, Northants Police Service still setting world beating standards, sons garage broken into about three months ago and his rather juicy motorcycle stolen, police unable to attend and never did manage to get there, but they did manage to issue a crime number.

ye gods

In other news, Northants Police Service still setting world beating standards

Back in the 70's a school "friend" of mine was thrown out of the Army for being too violent. His conduct whilst in Norther Ireland should have resulted in a prison sentance but it was carefully swept under the carpet (would'nt have been 20 years latyer) but evetually futher acts of mindless violence resulted in the end of his career. When he turned up back home we tried to keep him at arms length since none of us felt comfortable, he could turn into a total lunatic if someone smiled at the wrong time.

He struggled to hold a job down, no surprise there if he acted like he did normally.

But after a while he found the perfect employer, he was taken on by Nothants Police as a trainee. God knows waht happened to him, not seen or heard of him since about 1978.

Sounds like Big Vern in Viz comic.

On the wall in our home 'office' sits a copy of the ''clag-gone'' cartoon from the pages of Viz, and yes it still makes me chuckle some what 30? years later.

I seem to recall Big Vern had a rival in a rival comic, a chap prone to extreme violence when mildly provoked who went by the name of Everard Edbutt.

I thought the comic in question was Zit, but wikepedia entry names it as Smut, maybe you, Galileo, who seems to have an extraordinary memory of which i am envious about such important items in British cultural history, could prononce judgement on whether it was indeed Zit or Smut, and also who would have been the hardest of these heroes of the boys tabloids.

My hero of younger days was an equally non pc chap, Captain Hurricane from the pages of Valiant, which i think became Tiger and Valiant.

Would be obliged for your input.

:-))

"... sorry to open up an old thread."

No need to apologise. On the contrary, I think most of us like to hear the end of stories, particularly one like this, which has been so difficult to resolve.

Three things are notable about this: the abject failure of the police to deal with the initial incident adequately; the marginally less awful behaviour of the insurance company; and the amazing tenacity of your good self, with a little bit of support from us.

It is appalling that the success of the case rested largely on the efforts of one person, because everyone in a position of authority who had the duty to act properly once information was passed to them initially failed to do so.

It has been a drain on your time and energy as a single mother of two children. At least you have some satisfaction that it has all been resolved, but for me it leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.