Ironic that foreigners in this country get away with virtually everything.
Powerless sometimes we are, unless all the UK agencies get together for special operations, which are usually only carried out on trucks.
Foreign people have better rights in this country, than we seem to have in theirs.
i.e - If i stop jonny foreigner for speeding and issue a ticket ( which i cant, unless i contact the french embassey, ) but saying he doesnt pay, we wouldnt call the french police to track him doen to pay.
EU = Un-Equally Useless
Well Robbo, I qualified as a solicitor, and you are a police officer. I used to act as a prosecuting solicitor before the CPS existed - yes I know that was a long time ago. There is nothing to stop you issuing a summons to any foreigner, or arresting him for an arrestable offence. You certainly don't have to notify the Frence Embassy before issuing a fixed penalty notice to a Frenchman! Quote me chapter and verse if I'm wrong
. You can even arrest a diplomat - it's up to him to claim the diplomatic immunity. However the offence would have to be pretty severe before a custody sergeant would give you a cell in which to lock up a speeder. It
has happened, though. Kent police clocked a Frence motorcyclist at over 130mph and had him in court the same day. He was fined, banned from driving in the UK and had to collect his bike from the Calais-bound ferry at Dover.
In France fixed penalties are not appled as cash on the spot fines to French nationals - they have a fortnight in which to pay, after which the fine is increased if still unpaid. French police are given the power to demand cash from non-French nationals to ensure that the fine is paid. You should have that power too. The fact that you can't demand cash from a French offender lies with Parliament - nowhere else.
French law is just that: French law. It is not EU law. The EU is currently going through the process of setting up a system whereby penalties for motoring offences committed in the EU are applied to any EU national's driving licence. So a ban or points applied in Germany or France will apply to your UK licence. That means that penalties handed out in the UK to French, German etc citizens will be enforceable though their own systems, just as you would wish. Things take time at Brussels, so it hasn't happened yet, but it will. So don't blame the EU for the current situation.
