[Spridgets] There IS justice!!!!

[B- Evans]

>From The Telegraph of London


Speedgun King sacked as 500 motorists escape speeding fines


A police camera operator nicknamed the "Speedgun King" has been sacked after
his force found it had issued 500 tickets in error.


The unnamed civilian had bragged about his high conviction rate to
colleagues in the Lancashire Constabulary.

But an investigation found the cameras he operated had sometimes been
wrongly calibrated.

This has resulted in the force having to withdraw 545 speeding convictions
and rescind 1,500 penalty points. Nearly #36,000 in fines and payments for
speed awareness courses has also had to be refunded.

Lancashire Constabulary has now dismissed the camera operator in the
aftermath of an investigation by the Independent Police Complaints
Commission.

Naseem Malik, IPCC Commissioner for the North West, said: "This speed camera
technician failed to undertake basic checks of the systems he was operating
and as a result he undermined the integrity of hundreds of prosecutions.

"It would appear he was proud of his position as the top performing camera
technician, but it would appear he pursued quantity at the expense of
quality - and at the expense of hundreds of motorists.

"I applaud the fact that Lancashire Constabulary tackled this issue
vigorously and it is worth noting that during the investigation the work of
every other camera technician was checked and found to be in order".

The IPCC investigation found the technician's calibrations to be inaccurate
on a number of occasions between September 2006 and May 2007.

Motorists who have since had their convictions overturned had been driving
either through Blackpool or the Penwortham area of Lancashire.

A file was prepared for the Crown Prosecution Service but it said there was
insufficient evidence to bring criminal charges.

The sacked technician had been with the Lancashire Constabulary for two
years.