Camden New Journal - News: 130-mile trip to free car in pound

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Camden New Journal - by SARA NEWMAN
Published: 18th October 2007

130-mile trip to free car in pound

THE owner of a car that was towed away to the pound had to travel 130 miles before parking officers would release his vehicle.
Solicitor Robert Simon, who lives 65 miles away in Shoreham, West Sussex, was visiting Camden Market with his son, Michael, 15, when he parked his car on a single yellow line in Harmood Street, thinking it would be all right because it was a Sunday.
He returned to find the Peugeot had been taken to the Camden Council pound in Regis Road.
The pound refused to release the car because he did not have a driving licence or passport, even though two police officers verified Mr Simon’s identity on their computer.
Father and son walked to Kentish Town station and travelled by Tube to Victoria and train to Shoreham. Mr Simon then collected the necessary paperwork and returned by train to the pound before driving the car back to Shoreham 10 hours after he had set off that morning.
Mr Simon said: “I was willing to pay and that wasn’t accepted. The police confirmed it was my car. But the people behind the desk were not interested in doing anything other than what their rules stated.”
A Town Hall press official said that, although the council accepts written authorisation from the police before releasing a car, confirmation must be provided by fax or with an official police stamp.
She said: “The police unfortunately didn’t fax the confirmation, although they often do, so we weren’t able to release the car.”

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