Bath

A Bath taxi driver has had to pay up more than £600 after ignoring a no right turn sign outside Bath Spa station and then arguing with the police officer who tried to stop him.
Ian Holwill, 47, was filmed by PC Prav Tailor, who was wearing a body worn video camera, trying to turn right out of the station back in April.

The recording shows a Blue Skoda Octavia taxi indicating to turn right as it was leaving the station front.
PC Tailor instructed Holwill to drive straight along Dorchester Street and not to turn right but he began to remonstrate and shout at the officer before accelerating, narrowly missing a cyclist to his left and then stopping to perform a u-turn in the middle of the road a few metres along Dorchester Street.


Again PC Tailor approached the vehicle and challenged the driver, instructing him to calm down and also informing him that the incident was being filmed.
He also noticed that a passenger was in the taxi at the time.
PC Tailor, a British Transport Police officer, informed Holwill that he had failed to go straight ahead when instructed and that his driving was dangerous.
He also noted that the driver was now blocking the road and that he would be spoken to by police at a later date.
Holwill was sent a Notice of Intended Prosecution and submitted a letter to the courts explaining his version of the events, challenging the validity of the British Transport Police officer’s authority to deal with this incident.

Holwill was found guilty of failing to conform to a traffic sign during a hearing at Bath Magistrates’ Court.
He was fined £180 and fined a further £180 for failing to obey an instruction given by a police officer.
He was also told to pay court costs of £250 and a £20 victim surcharge, and his driving licence was endorsed with three penalty points.
PC Tailor said: “The fine and penalty points show how seriously the courts have taken this blatant breach of road traffic regulations.
“The signs are there for a reason and for the safety of all road users and pedestrians. Holwill clearly believed he could ignore the no right turn and do as he wished, putting others in danger.
“I hope this will serve as a warning to any other road users who believe they have the right to ignore the road traffic signs outside Bath Spa station that, if caught, the courts will not take the matter lightly.”


 http://www.bathchronicle.co.uk/Video-Bath-taxi-driver-s-station-row-policeman/story-19908482-detail/story.html#ixzz2hIVcyk9w