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Police action u sets hauliers
Page 5
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CONFUSION reigned in the industry this week over an incident in which lorries were commandeered by Thames Valley police on the M4 for use in stopping two joyriders in a stolen car The passenger in the car was killed when it hit the rear of the vehicle in the outside lane and the driver was badly injured.
Police stopped the drivers of four articulated lorries going west on the motorway who, they later told reporters, were ordered to park their vehicles on each lane and one on the hard shoulder.
This week a Road Haulage Association spokesman told CM that the RHA was "gravely concerned" about the incident. "Who pays if a member's vehicle is badly damaged in this way? We are concerned because we are all morally bound to help the police," he said.
The damaged vehicle, driven by Keith Parley of Corsham, Wiltshire, belonged to the BBC.
Damage
A police spokesman told CM: "There is no legal obligation to help the police, but it is unusual to refuse."
He added that the resulting damage would be treated in the same way as damage to a door which was broken down after a search warrant had been issued. He expected a claim against the police to be lodged "using the normal channels".
Liability
After the incident Mr Parley commented: "If I was asked to do it again, I would think twice about it." Damage to the vehicle would cost around £1,200 to repair, he added.
A spokesman for the British Insurance Association commented that the question of insurance liability posed no problems if the vehicle was comprehensively insured — but the no claim bonus would be at risk One operator told CM: "While one wants to help the police in every case, one cannot be sure about how to deal with this one."