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Threat despite pulling up in a legal bay
Carpenter Glen Southern could wind up behind bars after parking perfectly legally next to a police speed camera van.
Mr Southern pulled up next to the van outside Burghfield Village Stores but as he went to go inside he was stopped by an officer. When the 38-year-old, of Little Heath Road, Tilehurst, refused to move his legally parked van he was told he would be reported for obstructing a police officer.
Mr Southern told the Post: “I was about to go into the village stores to talk to a builder who I was going to do some work for.
“The police officer told me to move my van. The car park was full and I explained why I was parked there and I said I didn’t see why I should move my van because I had a perfectly legitimate reason to park there.
“He said I was ‘very sad’ and that he was going to report me for obstructing a police officer in the execution of his duty.
“He also made me produce all my documents at a police station.”
There is a permanent speed enforcement camera about 100 yards up the road from the stores in Reading Road.
Now Mr Southern plans to write to Thames Valley Police to complain that the officer was exceeding his duty.
He said: “He was well over the top. I was completely within my rights to park there.
“There was nowhere else to move my van in the car park at the time.
“I couldn’t see any reason at all why I should move it.”
If police decide to pursue Mr Southern for obstruction, he could end up with a
one-month jail term or a £1,000 fine.Dan Campsall, communications manager for the Thames Valley Safer Road Partnership which operates the speed camera vans, said: “There has been some mobile enforcement taking place in the village to complement the existing cameras, which, as you are probably aware, are placed in close proximity to schools and care homes for the elderly.
“Enforcement is also taking place there to support the National Reassurance Policing project which, after surveying local residents, identified that speeding motorists were the biggest concern to safety.
“In the specific case, it was a police officer at the site who had obtained permission from the shop owner to carry out enforcement. The gentleman concerned was asked to move his van but was unhelpful to the officer concerned.
“As the case is likely to go to court for obstructing the police officer in the
execution of his duties – I don’t feel I can comment further on the details of the case at this time because of sub judice.”A Reading Police spokeswoman said: “Mr Southern should make a formal complaint if he feels he has been treated unfairly.”
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