Time to raise this thread from the dead…
I got a letter today after all this time saying that after considering the evidence, they will be taking no further action.
Nice Result 
Andyroo:
I was advised that I should continue on the A1101 to the junction with Tollgate Lane, then turn left onto Thetford Road and continue on to Culford. Unfortunately the advice I was given obviously led me to enter the second restriction,
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Well done for that result Andy
Used to use that route a lot, had a regular load from northern way Bury st Edmunds for return to Yarmouth many years ago, it was the quickest and easiest route wether going via Thetford or the yellow brick road via Scole, until that limit got slapped on it, then you had to que up through Bury, at 5 oclock it would soon put 20mins on the run, and then the wharehouse would be whining because they’d want to be loading some of the csignments for export, all because someone did’nt like wagons going past there window, the road is moer than adequate for HGV’s, bet a counciler lives down there 
Good Result Andy
Think it’s got a chance?
Dear Sir,
Please find enclosed the relevant portion of the fixed penalty notice issued to myself on the 22nd of March 2005, in relation to the offence of using a prohibited vehicle on a restricted road, namely Thetford Road, Bury St. Edmunds (B1106).
Whilst I admit that I did encroach into an area restricted to 7.5 tonnes in a vehicle plated at 26 tonnes, I would like to point out a number of factors which I feel made my mistake unavoidable.
Firstly, I intended to travel along this road to deliver goods to an address in the village of Culford, north of Bury St. Edmunds. I was approaching the area on the A1101 from the direction of Mildenhall and I was aware of another weight restriction (7.5 tonne bridge) on a separate section of the B1106 between Fornham All Saints and Fornham Saint Martin. With this in mind I telephoned the customer at my delivery point and asked to be advised of the best alternative route. I was advised that I should continue on the A1101 to the junction with Tollgate Lane, then turn left onto Thetford Road and continue on to Culford. Unfortunately the advice I was given obviously led me to enter the second restriction, of which I was unaware, where I was stopped by a Police Officer and given the fixed penalty notice.
Secondly, I feel that the road signs warning of this restriction were inadequate to enable me to plan another route in good time. As far as I am aware there are no signs warning of the restriction at the junction of the A1101 and the B1106, the only signs in place being on the actual B1106 and situated just after the corner. As soon as I rounded the corner I saw the signs, but I felt it would not be safe for me to avoid entering by this stage, bearing in mind the size of the vehicle I was driving, the layout of the roads and the traffic conditions at the time. It was a matter of seconds after I entered the restricted area that the Officer stopped me, therefore I had no chance to take any other action to leave the restricted area after that.
I consider myself a professional driver, who has never been convicted of any motoring offence, nor have I ever had any penalty points on my driving licence. I always endeavour to drive safely and legally at all times and would never knowingly enter a restricted area if I could avoid it and I feel that my efforts to avoid the other weight restriction prove my intentions were as such. I am personally very upset at my own error in this case and regret it very much, even though as I have mentioned, with the combined factors outlined above I don’t think I could have avoided it.
By bringing these circumstances to your attention, I would like to request with the greatest respect that you reconsider the imposition of this fixed penalty notice.
Yours Faithfully,
Andyroo
Excellent letter Andy, I wish you luck!
Nice letter Andy, I hope it works.
I used to regulary travel between Kings Lynn and Bury St Edmunds, picking up the A134 at Thetford. I always flouted the 7.5t restriction because there is no viable alternative route. There are roads off of the A134 that are signed as 7.5t limit so the authorities must know that vehicles over that weight are using the A134 (surely there should be no need for signs)?
theghostofcain:
Nice letter Andy, I hope it works.I used to regulary travel between Kings Lynn and Bury St Edmunds, picking up the A134 at Thetford. I always flouted the 7.5t restriction because there is no viable alternative route. There are roads off of the A134 that are signed as 7.5t limit so the authorities must know that vehicles over that weight are using the A134 (surely there should be no need for signs)?
Do you mean the restrictions in Thetford town centre?
No, it wasn’t the town centre. Very close to it though.
It is confusing, the prescribed route if you all coming off the A11 southbound and going to Bury is to carry on to Elveden like I’ve marked here in red…
It’s all very confusing and badly signposted though. 
The problem with weight limits like this that are used to prohibit vehiles per se rather than protect a weak structure is that you don’t know where the other side of the restriction is.
I had this in Hull a couple of years ago. The A-Z showed that I had only a couple of hundred yards to go when I encountered the weight restriction. It was an “except for access” restriction so I was happy to enter it. Little did I realised that the restriction was only very short and the address I was after was just out of the other side. Thankfully the policeman who stopped me saw the nature of the problem and we parted on good terms.
When the “anti-truck” brigade stick these things in they need to consider the practicalilites of us not knowing where the other end of the restriction is.
Whilst I admit that I did encroach into an area restricted to 7.5 tonnes in a vehicle plated at 26 tonnes, I would like to point out a number of factors which I feel made my mistake unavoidable.
You have just pleaded gulity by letter. They don’t even need to read the rest of the letter.
NEVER NEVER NEVER admit guilt in writing or verbaly.
Good Luck
ron9516:
You have just pleaded gulity by letter. They don’t even need to read the rest of the letter.NEVER NEVER NEVER admit guilt in writing or verbaly.
Good Luck
There was never any doubt about guilty or not, he was caught fair and square, Andyroo is basically claiming extenuating[sp] circumstances, He belived that was the only way to get to his delivery, as the route was suggested to him by a customer. It may be that there was no way to deliver to that customer without running a weight limit - I have come accross that situation many a time on builders merchants work.
I understand your point.
The Police cannot rescind the fixed penalty notice.
Mitigation can only be placed before the court. To get to court you have to plead not guilty. He has just pleaded guilty by letter, which would be passed to the CPS.
When asked in court how he pleads, he would say not guilty. CPS then produce letter, Mag now feels he is wasting the courts time and is now less inclined to listen to plea of mitigation.
This is all about mitigation not Guilt. But by admitting guilt in a letter he will be less likely to have his mitigation heard.
Sorry I am not trying to open an augment only offer advice.
I wasn’t suggesting it was an argument, just that if that was the only way into a drop then the weight limit would have had to be run, that is what i would use as mitigation. Having said that I am not familiar with that neck of the woods so do not know if there were any other roads that did not have a weight limit on. I personally would take it court, but then I’m bulshy about things like that. 
About 10 years ago I used to have to go down the embankment in london every morning, coming from the west on the A4 you turn right at the Sega (Now called something else)building, at those lights their is a timed weight restriction that the sign clearly stated ended at 06.30, yet I used to get frequent demands for money from the council for being on that road at 6.45, well within my rights, it took months to actually get them to see sense. hence why i hate things like that.
Nice letter, it’s allways worth a go. It’s worked for a mate of mine, so who knows .
Personally I avoid 'em like the plague, I don’t know if it’s my face or what, but I can garuntee, if I do go through one, their’s going to be some busybody stood with their pencil sharpened on the corner 
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Liberace:
if I do go through one, their’s going to be some busybody stood with their pencil sharpened on the corner
Wasn’t aware pencils had corners■■?
There is an alternative route, which the copper pointed out to me, but there is only so much I can do.
Like I said in the Hanging up your keys thread, I’m pretty much past caring what happens, but I’ll have my say whatever.
ron9516:
I understand your point.The Police cannot rescind the fixed penalty notice.
I have more than once appeald against a fixed penalty parking notice and it has been accepted
Well written letter Andyroo. Good luck and I hope you get it all sorted .