PHH to fight police heavy escort costs
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by David Harris • Police forces which charge hauliers for providing escorts for abnormal or heavy loads may be acting illegally, it emerged this week. Norfolk Police, which has charged Peterborough Heavy Haulage (PHH) more than £6,000 for escorts in the past 18 months, is now facing opposition from the firm.
Backed by legal advice and the Road Haulage Association, the company says it will fight charges from now on. Jon Hugill, operations director at PHH, says: "We are considering the legal position, but our advice is quite clear that Norfolk police should not be able to charge us.
"In the last 18 months we have been charged more than £6,000 for 12 escorts, including one bill of £1,560."
Jonathan Lawton, one of the lawyers who has advised PHH, says: "In my view the police have no authority to charge for something which should be part of normal police duties. They can charge for providing extra policing in some circumstances— such as at football matches—but that is on private land."
Tom Llewellyn, chairman of the RHA's heavy haulage group, says: "The police escort is there not because the loads are unsafe, but to stop foolish members of the public from overtaking stupidly and generally endangering themselves. No police force has the right to charge for the service." But Chief Inspector David Williams of Norfolk Police says: "Our legal advice is that we are entitled to charge for escorting abnormal loads and we will continue to do that."