Written by John Kruse, one of the leading experts on Bailiff Law, this consumer friendly guide is essential reading for anyone who comes into contact with a bailiff.
The book is easy to understand and clearly explains the rights
a bailiff has, and also what they cannot do when collecting debts and repossessing goods etc.
A £15m wireless digital CCTV network is set to be to shut down in a row over image quality, a council has said. Westminster Council's 100 parking enforcement cameras have been in use since 2006 and can clearly read vehicles' registration plates.
But guidelines from the Department for Transport (DfT) said the cameras can no longer be used to issue tickets as the image resolution is too low.
The council said the "ludicrous" ruling will put the mobile cameras out of use.
Westminster Council said it is the only local authority in the UK to use digital cameras for parking enforcement and the resolution specified by the DfT does not take the new technology into consideration.
The council will stop using the cameras from midnight on Tuesday as the DfT's restrictions come into effect from 1 April.
The Traffic Management Act 2004 states that images need to be 720x576 pixels - but the digital cameras broadcast images which are 704x576 pixels.
The DfT said it has not prevented the use of the cameras for any other purposes but added that the cameras need to be upgraded for parking enforcement.
Upgrading would cost £2.5m, the council said. 'Draconian view'
Councillor Danny Chalkley, cabinet member for environment and transport, said: "The DfT's position is ludicrous and stuck in the dark ages.
"This draconian view puts into jeopardy the £15m already spent on Westminster's CCTV network and could result in millions of pounds of taxpayers' money being needed to replace the current cameras, all because of a tiny difference in image resolution on the TV screen."
A DfT spokesperson refused to comment on the case but said: "To ensure local authorities have a fair and transparent way of detecting unlawful drivers any recording device must meet minimum requirements and be certified as an 'approved device'."
The cameras are currently in the West End, Belgravia, Trafalgar Square, Knightsbridge, Oxford Street and on central London's main bridges.
7. Thinking of a Full & Final Settlement?Read Here
my views are my own...seek legal advice if ness
NEVER EVER - act on a private message asking you to visit another website, make contact 'off list' or by telephone
- alert the siteteam IMMEDIATELY by hitting the black warning triangle on any message - Particularly if this results in a request to pay a fee to help you.
rather than hittting to be my friend - hit the star
Westminster has over 200 cameras these Wi fi wireless ones are just a small percentage so I wouldn't consider it makes driving in Westminster a CCTV free zone.
last day of march was the day that transition provisions for approved devices for CCTV enforcement in the TMA ran out. TMA 2004 that is. they have had years to get this correct and the statute is clear as per the post. Obviously westminster can't follow statue or chose to ignore it but we know that already from many posts about westminster. Nice of them to call the TMA 'draconian' though. muppets.
last day of march was the day that transition provisions for approved devices for CCTV enforcement in the TMA ran out. TMA 2004 that is. they have had years to get this correct and the statute is clear as per the post. Obviously westminster can't follow statue or chose to ignore it but we know that already from many posts about westminster. Nice of them to call the TMA 'draconian' though. muppets.
The cameras were purchased and installed prior to the TMA and are of industry standard for digital images. The reason they are calling the TMA draconian is because it does not take into account the fact that the vast majority of CCTV is analogue and they are digital. Analogue images include unused pixals in the black border so in effect both systems result in the same ratio images and are not any difference in quality. The cameras can still be used for crime prevention and are unlikely to be replaced shortly since it is not possible to buy 'off the shelf' digital cameras to the TMA spec and would require cameras built to order costing several million £'s.
they have years to get them swapped. there are no excuses. approved devices are very well defined. TMA is not draconian, there is a clear and explicit list or requirements. Westminster failed. How much do they chief parking people get paid ? Who will be sacked for wasting this amount of money ? Its not the council's money, its the public's money. Quite frankly its appalling. but as I said Westminster play fast and loose, their behaviour and culture is very apparent.
Oh dear! Does this mean that the very council which employed police to illegally stop and detain motorists for unpaid parking charges in Westminster on February 6, now feel hard done by because in their supreme arrogance and general flouting of laws, they finally found that in ignoring one that gave them four years to put their house in order, they were so clever that they outsmarted themselves?
And then blamed somebody else for being 'draconian'?
And I thought that it was going to be a rotten day as well......
they have years to get them swapped. there are no excuses. approved devices are very well defined. TMA is not draconian, there is a clear and explicit list or requirements. Westminster failed. How much do they chief parking people get paid ? Who will be sacked for wasting this amount of money ? Its not the council's money, its the public's money. Quite frankly its appalling. but as I said Westminster play fast and loose, their behaviour and culture is very apparent.
Westminsters wi fi system was not purchased by the parking dept or with the sole intention of parking enforcement. As stated before it can still be used for its intended purpose of crime prevention and probably will be. Parking services still have access to the rest of the cctv system so there is no reason enforcement will not still continue. No money has been wasted the cameras are the industry standard and if any money has been wasted it the fault of the DofT for introducing a standard that is not readily available in digital cctv cameras.
industry standard ? so what the legislation is clear. seems the industry has failed miserably to take into account statutory requirements. tough. plenty of consultation took place and even the ICO CCTV Code of Practice covers it. the CCTV user group has covered it for years and there is plenty of high resolution kit out there. There is no hiding place, Westminster failed miserably to adeher to the well documented required statutory stanbdard and had years to get it right. They didn't. the real question is why ? but quite a few of us could make a good guess at that. they regularly ignore statute. heck they even deny drivers the TEC process by using DCAs.
industry standard ? so what the legislation is clear. seems the industry has failed miserably to take into account statutory requirements. tough. plenty of consultation took place and even the ICO CCTV Code of Practice covers it. the CCTV user group has covered it for years and there is plenty of high resolution kit out there. There is no hiding place, Westminster failed miserably to adeher to the well documented required statutory stanbdard and had years to get it right. They didn't. the real question is why ? but quite a few of us could make a good guess at that. they regularly ignore statute. heck they even deny drivers the TEC process by using DCAs.
The system was in place prior to 2004 so unless you suggest Westminster have a crystal ball how would they know what legislation would be in place in future years? They haven't failed to adhere to anything they stopped using the cameras because they no longer met the resolution required for traffic contraventions. What is your hidden reason we are meant to guess at? There is no visible difference between westminsters digital cctv and the approved analogue cctv so why is it a huge conspiracy? The reason they haven't changed it is because it was implemented prior to 2004 and cost millions of £s of Council tax payers money and is used by both the Police and Westminster for crime detection with the wi fi system also used for numerous other services. Yes Westminster do chase up PCNs with a DCA as they are legally entitled to, some people actually prefere a phone call from a DCA rather than waking up to find their car clamped and a bill for £500.
they have had years to get it compliant. they failed to do so. I wonder how many of their cameras were replaced and or serviced during this time. that would have been a good opportunity to rollout new kit. great they have now been forced to stop using these cameras for parking enforcemnt, something we can all enjoy. I agree re DCA calls. And like all DCA calls they can be ignored as they have no legal basis, there is no 'debt' at the stage the calls are made as you well know. Everyone getting these calls should just ignore the DCA (apart from making any due complaints for harrassment etc if the DCA steps out of line. I hope the DCA doesn't misrepresent the true legal position when making these calls, that would be very naughty). that will clog up the system and force westminster to fall back to the statutory method. it would cost the DCA and westminster a few bob but they have few bob to spare with 400k annual savings on TEC fees and the money they won't be spending on CCTV enforcement of parking tickets. another point, have westminster laid off any of the people who were employed to do the CCTV parking tickets ? if not why not ?
BBC. Westminster CCTV Cameras SHUT DOWN.
Reply With Quote
Re: BBC. Westminster CCTV Cameras SHUT DOWN.
Originally Posted by lamma
