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A man says he can no longer drive his car after Hull City Council threatened to impound it for failing to pay a bus lane fine he never received.
Luke Wheldon says he received a knock on the door from a bailiff on October 3, who told him he had clamped Mr Wheldon’s car with permission from the courts.
When asked why, Mr Wheldon was told he had received a bus lane fine from May this year and, as he had not replied to any correspondence from Hull City Council, was to have his car clamped and impounded.
However, Mr Wheldon says he has never received a letter from the council regarding the fine, because he has revoked the Royal Mail’s implied access to his property.
“When the bailiff came to tell me what was going on he had already clamped the car”, said Mr Wheldon, of Thanet Road.
(Image: Katie Pugh)
“He told me he had court backing to do so and there had been a hearing at Hull Magistrates’ Court, then told me there was a county court judgement against me, and then he said there was a warrant.
“He kept changing his story, and that is when I started filming what was going on.
“When he left I jacked up the front of my car to check he hadn’t damaged it, and the wheel clamp fell off. He hadn’t even put it on properly.”
Mr Wheldon contacted Hull’s combined courts to find out whether there were any judgements against him, and he claims there are none.
(Image: Katie Pugh)
After removing Royal Mail’s access to his property in 2017, Mr Wheldon only receives recorded post, and says when letters bounced back to Hull City Council they should have contacted him via other means.
He then called the police, as he believed Hull City Council were unlawfully willing to clamp and “steal” his car without the proper permissions.
Watch: Mr Wheldon speak about the clamp “falling off” and the moment he filmed it being collected
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“I have issued a complaint with Humberside Police over how they handled my call”, said Mr Wheldon, who is 51.
“They just kept telling me it was a civil matter.
“If I wanted my council tax money back because I wasn’t happy with their service, and I went and impounded one of their cars, they would arrest me straight away.”
(Image: Katie Pugh)
Humberside Police have confirmed a complaint has been received, which is being assessed and responded to in due course.
“My car is now on a private drive behind a locked fence because Hull City Council have told me if they see me driving around they will clamp the vehicle immediately,” continued Mr Wheldon.
“It’s unlawful what they’re doing. They have a duty to inform me of a fine, and they haven’t done so.
“It isn’t a legal necessity that I have my post delivered by the Royal Mail, there are other couriers.
“The council have my telephone number, email address and they know where I live, because I live in a council house.
(Image: Katie Pugh)
“No other means of contact was made, and I haven’t been given the appropriate warning to pay the £30 fine – now the bailiffs are wanting £150.
“They admitted the letters were returned to them, so surely they must have known I hadn’t seen the fine.”
A spokeswoman for Hull City Council said: “The council follow standard procedures for issuing and following up unpaid bus lane fines.
“Information on a vehicle’s owner and registered address is taken from the DVLA.”
Watch: Luke Wheldon speaking to Hull Live about what has happened
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