' Manchester United soccer star Carlos Tevez has had his £140,000 Bentley seized because he does not have a full UK driving licence, police said.
The 25-year-old Argentina international was stopped by traffic officers on the M60 near Stretford, Greater Manchester. His car has been impounded.
Police said they pulled his car over, suspecting the tinting on its windows was too dark.
Tests at the roadside showed the tint was illegal, police said.
"Shortly after 0920 GMT on Friday officers pulled over a Bentley close to junction 7 of the M60," said a police spokesman.
"The officers were concerned certain windows were illegally tinted. They were tested and found to be too dark so a prohibition notice was issued to the driver.
"When asked to provide his documentation, it was discovered the driver did not have a full UK driving licence and was advised to arrange removal of the car.
"As he could not arrange this, the car was removed under Section 165 of Road Traffic Act 1988."'
He has been in this country for several years and has been driving for all that time. Yet it has taken this long to discover he does not have the right licence. When ever I have bought a vehicle from a dealership, I have been asked to show my licence, whether it be for a test drive or when signing the various purchase documents.
Does the fact that he has, in effect, not had a proper licence, all so mean he has not been covered by his insurance ?
Edited by Honestjohn on 07/02/2009 at 13:03
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>He has been in this country for several years
ah but has he. The footie season runs from September to April. Some of the time for Man U was out of the country. He must be pretty close to qualifying as not resident in the UK.
Edited by Honestjohn on 07/02/2009 at 13:03
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I believe he has had a UK address for just over 2 years, living firstly in London before moving to Hale, Cheshire.
Edited by Honestjohn on 07/02/2009 at 13:05
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Just found this.
' If you hold a licence issued by a country that isn?t listed above, you must take a driving test during your first year in the UK. If you don?t pass the driving test during your first year, you must apply for a provisional licence and drive under restricted conditions (e.g. with a qualified driver) until you?ve passed your test. ''
Argentina was not listed in the above section.
Edited by Honestjohn on 07/02/2009 at 13:04
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Why did it take so long? Speed cameras generate income but are rubbish at other offences, combined with a lack of Traffic police.
Edited by Honestjohn on 07/02/2009 at 13:04
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Hale is in Greater Manchester :). Well at least it has Manchesters public transport system, Manchester police, a Manchester NHS trust, Manchester's fire brigade etc.
I always think its odd that Wilmslow is not apart of Greater Manchester, I wish it was it would save me a fortune in train tickets.
If you don't have an accident or get stopped for any other reason then its so easy to not go detected. I am surprised insurance companies don't check with the DVLA that the person has a licence but I suppose it clearly states it is invalid if they are not. They would rather just take the money knowing they will never need to pay out.
Edited by Honestjohn on 07/02/2009 at 13:04
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Looking at how many foreign players we now have in the Premier league who have come from countries outside the Eu, might it not be time for ' Operation Penalty " to kick off.
These players are surround by top class money men and high flying club solicitors yet know one checks to see if they have the right documents to drive around when they move to the UK.
Edited by Honestjohn on 07/02/2009 at 13:04
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Derby County signed a player from Croatia who drove off on the wrong side of the road towards Nottingham. He said when stopped that he didn't know that we drove on the left.
Derby signed a South American player who had a false passport, after a match in Europe he was stopped at immigration and was not allowed back into the UK.
When talking to a woman in the USA she said that driving on the left was sooo unnatural. I tried to explain that it is natural to us, she was not having any of it.
IMO there are too many foreigners in football and rugby these days. It does not give a proper chance to local lads.
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It does not give a proper chance to local lads.
Didn't Brown say "British Players for British Clubs!"... or was it something else he said... I lose track these days with all these soundbites...
I'm sure that this highlighting of illegal driving by johnny foreigner will now ensure that all foreigners in this country will now check their licences and not drive if they can't... mmm... hasn't this been going on for years?
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I always think its odd that Wilmslow is not apart of Greater Manchester I wish it was it would save me a fortune in train tickets.
Its not odd, I much prefer being in Cheshire. Manchester would love it to be theirs, lots of Band H and I houses to tax
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Well it would come under Stockport unless Macclesfield became apart of Greater Manchester. I meant it was odd considering that some of the airport is in Cheshire yet the airport itself is in the city of Manchester. I cannot understand how Wilmslow which is still just about the Manchester urban area (Wilmslow relies on Manchester for its econemy) where as places like Wigan are apart of GM yet are so far away.
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Hale is in Greater Manchester :). Well at least it has Manchesters public transport system
Hale is in Trafford, Which is certainly in GM. I have a good friend in Hale Barns and her postcode is WA15.... Warrington......miles away.
Ted
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I believe he has had a UK address for just over 2 years living firstly in London before moving to Hale Cheshire.
having a UK address is not living in the UK. He goes "home" during th e closed season. I bet he will get away with this because he is not resident or living here.
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Not as simple as it seems and a lot of info we are not party to.
If he is wagless and holder of an Argentinian Domestic Driving Licence and departs at the end of the footie season back home then that Licence will cover him to stay in UK for a year. The year will start again when he comes back for the 2010/11 season.
If he overstays this year and/or classes him self resident then needs to get a UK Licence, in his case Prov Lic/Full test and a UK Licence before the end of his 12 months.
dvd
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I bet he "somehow" turns out to be legal - the player who killed some kids on the M6 was thought to have no insurance but that was sorted out.
I don't recall ever showing my licence when I've bought a car though, although I very much doubt that these player go through that process. The car is probably leased and just delivered to him. They often drive vehicles loaned to them.
Regarding insurance with an invalid licence, there was an ironically funny event on one of those Police programmes where they stopped a guy who had a foreign licence and had been here for years. The Police Officer gleefully called his insurance company and was visibly crestfallen when they said they still held themselves liable.
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The car is probably the property of M.United and the insurance policy is probably theirs as well.
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'If he is wagless and holder of an Argentinian Domestic Driving Licence and departs at the end of the footie season back home then that Licence will cover him to stay in UK for a year. The year will start again when he comes back for the 2010/11 season.'
Clearly the law needs looking at as this is a loop hole that needs looking at.
I would suggest that foreign licence is usable for up to 8 weeks only ( to cover holidays, business trips ) and after that is not acceptable until British driving test is taken.
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does this apply abroad for us Mr X? I have often spent over 8 weeks abroad in a year.
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Can see no reason why it shouldn't. Every country has a different driving style with differing laws and use of their roads should be assessed via a driving test as taken by the locals.
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Can see no reason why it shouldn't. Every country has a different driving style
I would have thought 8 weeks would soon teach you that? The laws are all very similar, the road signs are almost universal. Franlky i would have though any EU license would suffice in any other EU country.
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I've driven many thousands of miles abroad in a large number of countries apart from even more miles in the UK.
I never had any difficulties in adapting to the different laws, but did ensure that I checked them out as much as possible before driving in any particular country for the first time.
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I learned to drive in Australia, on my return to the UK I could use my licence for six months and had to pass a UK test within that time to remain legal. The law may have changed but even so, not too difficult to understand.
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I would suggest that foreign licence is usable for up to 8 weeks only (
Something drastic would have to change - it takes more than 8 weeks to get a test I've heard.
From the specific offence mentioned, does he really have a full driving licence in his own country?
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>>>>>Frankly I would have though any EU license would suffice in any other EU country.<<<<<<
AE
It basically is the case.
Any Johnny (EEC) Foreigner coming to UK and becoming a resident, providing his
EEC Licence remains valid may drive in GB:
Car, motorcycle driving licence holders (ordinary driving licence):
until aged 70 or for three years after becoming resident, whichever is the longer period .
dvd
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...The car is probably the property of M.United...
It can't be - we know who was driving it.
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MrX, how do you square your request for a clampdown on overpaid foreign footballers without proper licences, with your rampant dislike for interference by authority?
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I think MrX is drawing a distinction between wanting the enforcement of existing and relevant laws but does not want, for example, to be in the proposed database, announced today which will keep, for 10 years, the names, addresses, telephone numbers, seat reservations, travel itineraries and credit card details of all 250 million annual passenger movements into and out of UK. Probably doesn't want an ID card either and isn't happy with the proliferation of CCTV cameras!
The former is legitimate enforcement and the latter is unwarranted intrusion.
If this isn't what MrX means then it is what I mean!
Edited by Armitage Shanks {p} on 08/02/2009 at 15:21
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Seconded. I really do not want some one making a note of my every movement each time I venture out of my home, not when it is being actually kept and stored for many years to come.
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A group of us were in the USA with the Royal Navy for a few months in the 90's. We all had to take an American driving test while we were there. This was no problem and having a US license caused less hassle than a British one because this was pre photo licence days and they just looked blank if you produced an old style British paper one.
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Loads of bizarre ramblings removed from this thread (have some of you been indulging in some warming alcohol?) - apologies if your post got caught up in it - there was too much to weed through.
Back to the topic in hand, anyway, please. Thanks
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