White van man settles four figure fine following legal battle

An Edinburgh fines dodger had to settle 7 unpaid fines '“ stumping up £1087 '“ after having his van clamped.
By The Newsroom
Published 2nd Dec 2016, 11:48 BST
Updated 6th Dec 2016, 16:02 BST

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A driver had to settle a significant fine. Picture; stock imageA driver had to settle a significant fine. Picture; stock image
A driver had to settle a significant fine. Picture; stock image

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The man, who had a variety of fines including two fiscal fines amounting to more than £400 for not having his white Ford Transit licensed, also had to pay a further charge to have the clamp removed to get his vehicle back.

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The driver had repeatedly failed to settle fines for assault, road traffic and vehicle licensing offences imposed at Edinburgh Sheriff and Justice of the Peace Court between November 2012 and November 2016. After a seizure order was issued and his vehicle clamped, the man settled his fines.

The van was one of eight vehicles seized in just 24 hours in Lothian and Borders from drivers who had repeatedly failed to pay outstanding fines totalling £3039.39.

Offences committed by six Edinburgh drivers and two from Livingston, ranged from drink driving and driving without insurance to driving while using a mobile phone and abandoning a vehicle on a pedestrian crossing.

A new electronic interface between the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service and the DVLA vehicle database has enhanced the ability to track down drivers with unpaid fines. As a result, 85% of the value of Sheriff Court fines imposed during the three-year period between 1st April 2013 and 31st March 2016 has either been fully paid or is on track to be paid through instalments.