Severn Bridge: police refuse to release enforcement data
The South Wales Argus submitted a Freedom of (FOI) request to the force asking for the number of summonses issued during the period, the types of vehicles involved, any additional enforcement actions taken, and the specific locations and dates of incidents. However, the force responded that it would not comply with the FOI.
The force said: 'There is no specific category of crime or data entry field on our systems where we would be able to electronically extract this information.
'We would need to contact every officer and check their pocket notebook or look at each ticket to see what the location is. It is estimated it would take far in excess of 18 hours to comply.'
Under Section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, public authorities are not required to comply with requests if the cost of doing so exceeds a set threshold. For local authorities such as police forces, the limit is £450, which is calculated at a rate of £25 per hour. This equates to 18 hours of staff time to respond to the FOI.
If the estimated time and cost exceed this limit, the authority may issue a formal Refusal Notice, as Avon and Somerset Police has done in this case.
The force did confirm that its Speed Enforcement Unit had issued no tickets for this offence during the specified period. It also noted that Gwent Police is conducting targeted enforcement in the area and suggested that further information may be available through their Freedom of Information process.
A similar Freedom of Information request has been submitted to National Highways and to enforcement authorities by county councillor Armand Watts. He too was refused an answer.
Responding to Avon and Somerset's reasons for refusal and the limitations of their system, Cllr Watts said: 'It seems the police use a 20th century system for a 21st century problem.
'As for ANPR cameras, we have no idea if they exist, if they exist and are not working or exist and work – but fail because we have to 'rely on the goodwill of the back office functions of Avon and Somerset Police,' as this farce has been described to council. Looking for a working ANPR camera is the new version of hunting the snark.'
The response raises broader concerns about the lack of a centralised system for tracking enforcement of specific traffic offences. Without such infrastructure, it may be difficult for the public to hold police forces accountable or assess the effectiveness of enforcement efforts, councillor Watts has said.
A spokesman for the force said: "Our unit will, where possible, be policing the M48 bridge, in line with other areas of the strategic road network which runs throughout our policing area.
"While a Traffic Order is in place, our colleagues at National Highways are working hard to ensure the appropriate signage is implemented to enable us to enforce the order. This will be supported by the implementation of ANPR cameras which will assist them in ensuring compliance with the weight limit is in place."
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9 hours ago
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Love rat fraudster jailed for conning women out of £40,000 in 'web of lies'
Victims of the scheming Ben Millin have revealed the horrific extent of his lies which saw them lose thousands after he manipulated them with heartbreaking stories about his personal life This was the moment a serial romance fraudster's 'web of lies' caught up with him as he was arrested for scamming women out of tens of thousands of pounds. Conman Ben Millin, 32, fabricated stories of dying relatives, frozen bank accounts, job interviews and severe health conditions to scam his victims out of money, a court heard. Four women were defrauded out of an estimated £30,000-40,000, with a large amount of the money being used to fund his gambling habits. His victims have now spoken out about the impact of his crimes after Millin, of Yeovil, Somerset, was jailed for 34 months. Avon and Somerset Police has also released video footage of the moment he was arrested at his home. The 32-year-old met his first victim, Fiona, in July 2021 and told her early on in their relationship several heartbreaking stories about his family. He also claimed he had money issues because of a dispute with an ex-partner regarding a house they were selling, whom he claimed had become pregnant after being unfaithful. He asked for her to help him pay bills, travel expenses and more, promising each time to pay her back. The lies came to a head in April 2022, when he promised to take Fiona to Spain for a holiday. He changed the destination to London – falsely claiming a heart condition would prevent him from flying. He had her pack for this trip to London and wait at home, while he went to a job interview in Bristol early, before he would return and they set off for London. At that point she did not know she would never hear from him again. That evening Fiona was worried when she could not get hold of Millin after the interview and called hospitals and the police to report him missing. However, Millin's appointment that day was not a job interview. It was in front of a court, as he was jailed for fraud by false representation against an ex-partner. It was only when Fiona saw the sentencing in the news that she realised she too was a victim, and the true extent of Ben's lies and deceit completely shook her world. Millin was released from prison in December 2022 and within six months began communicating with another victim, Charlotte, via Instagram. Their relationship grew and he told Charlotte he was earning £40,000 a year as a self-employed sales consultant. Over the next seven months he lied to Charlotte about financial issues and told her he had booked a holiday to Costa Rica for them both after winning £30,000 on a scratch card. Whenever Charlotte sought some of the money back, Millin would make up stories of health issues for him and family members to win her sympathy. In total he stole approximately £20,000 from Charlotte – money she had largely inherited from her father after he died a few years earlier. The police investigation found that between June and October 2023 Millin had spent on average £5,500 a month on an online gambling site. He also had taken credit cards out in Charlotte's name, and their landlady, Sophie, who lived with the couple for several months and thought she could trust Millin – until she realised what he had done days after she left to go travelling. Sophie said her home now is a 'painful reminder' of what Ben did and the stress he caused her and Charlotte. Millin was first arrested in March 2024, but a fortnight earlier he met Chloe, from Bournemouth, through an online dating site. This time he falsely claimed to be a psychologist for the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Olympic team, and that he was renovating a recently purchased farmhouse near Dorchester. During their three-month relationship, he lied to Chloe by telling her he booked holidays to London, Ibiza and Lille. Millin was charged with four counts of committing fraud by false representation in June 2025. Last month he pleaded guilty at Taunton Crown Court, sitting at North Somerset Courthouse, and was sentenced on Thursday 31 July. In addition to his prison sentence, Millin was handed restraining orders preventing him contacting any of the four victims. He was also handed a five-year serious crime prevention order. During the court proceedings, the victims spoke of the impact his crimes had on them. Fiona, from Exeter, Devon, has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder because of what Millin did and continues to see a therapist regularly. She said she struggled to forgive herself for what happened, contemplated suicide several times, and for a long time was unable to speak his name. Fiona, in her victim statement prepared ahead of the sentencing hearing, said: 'I find it difficult to fully express the profound and lasting impact that Ben's actions have had on my life and mental health. Not only did he defraud me of every penny I had, but the way he did so, has caused immeasurable damage to my well-being. 'Ben is a predator. He targets vulnerable women, exploiting their insecurities and empathy for his own benefit. He is, in my opinion, a complete danger to society, especially women. He told countless lies to make himself appear vulnerable and in need of support. 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Ben knew I wanted a family and all the hopes and dreams I had for life however since the damage he has inflicted on me, I have lost trust in every person I know and could meet in the future and even worse than that, the trust I have lost in myself. No matter how much therapy I do, or how much time passes, I will never be the same. 'I am still very vulnerable and unable to work like I did before him. My poor financial situation leaves me unable to afford to start again and find a new home, I lost my financial security in this stupid game I didn't know I was part of before it was far too late. I will never understand how someone can lie to you every moment of every day so easily, whilst playing a victim with poor mental health. 'He has stolen not only my money but my ability to have the future that I so desperately wanted. What he's done to me physically, mentally and financially cannot be undone.' 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He asked me to prepare to look after the children, and we purchased food and supplies for them. 'This entire situation was later revealed to be completely fabricated. Ben's conduct was not only dishonest but highly manipulative and emotionally exploitative. These were not casual lies, they were deliberate fabrications centred around deeply sensitive and traumatic themes, seemingly intended to gain control and elicit sympathy. Reflecting on this, I believe he derived a sense of satisfaction from the confusion and distress he caused. 'The impact of this experience on my mental health has been profound. It has significantly eroded my ability to trust others. I now find myself questioning people's motives, doubting my own judgment, and experiencing persistent anxiety. In addition to the ongoing grief from the loss of my husband, this manipulation has caused further emotional harm. In my opinion, Ben's actions demonstrate a clear and disturbing pattern of calculated deception.' 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South Wales Argus
a day ago
- South Wales Argus
Severn Bridge: police refuse to release enforcement data
Avon and Somerset Police say they will not confirm whether summonses were issued for breaches of the Severn Bridge 7.5 ton weight limit between May 27 and June 23 this year, citing limitations in their data systems and the cost of retrieving information. The South Wales Argus submitted a Freedom of (FOI) request to the force asking for the number of summonses issued during the period, the types of vehicles involved, any additional enforcement actions taken, and the specific locations and dates of incidents. However, the force responded that it would not comply with the FOI. The force said: 'There is no specific category of crime or data entry field on our systems where we would be able to electronically extract this information. 'We would need to contact every officer and check their pocket notebook or look at each ticket to see what the location is. It is estimated it would take far in excess of 18 hours to comply.' Under Section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, public authorities are not required to comply with requests if the cost of doing so exceeds a set threshold. For local authorities such as police forces, the limit is £450, which is calculated at a rate of £25 per hour. This equates to 18 hours of staff time to respond to the FOI. If the estimated time and cost exceed this limit, the authority may issue a formal Refusal Notice, as Avon and Somerset Police has done in this case. The force did confirm that its Speed Enforcement Unit had issued no tickets for this offence during the specified period. It also noted that Gwent Police is conducting targeted enforcement in the area and suggested that further information may be available through their Freedom of Information process. A similar Freedom of Information request has been submitted to National Highways and to enforcement authorities by county councillor Armand Watts. He too was refused an answer. Responding to Avon and Somerset's reasons for refusal and the limitations of their system, Cllr Watts said: 'It seems the police use a 20th century system for a 21st century problem. 'As for ANPR cameras, we have no idea if they exist, if they exist and are not working or exist and work – but fail because we have to 'rely on the goodwill of the back office functions of Avon and Somerset Police,' as this farce has been described to council. Looking for a working ANPR camera is the new version of hunting the snark.' The response raises broader concerns about the lack of a centralised system for tracking enforcement of specific traffic offences. Without such infrastructure, it may be difficult for the public to hold police forces accountable or assess the effectiveness of enforcement efforts, councillor Watts has said. A spokesman for the force said: "Our unit will, where possible, be policing the M48 bridge, in line with other areas of the strategic road network which runs throughout our policing area. "While a Traffic Order is in place, our colleagues at National Highways are working hard to ensure the appropriate signage is implemented to enable us to enforce the order. This will be supported by the implementation of ANPR cameras which will assist them in ensuring compliance with the weight limit is in place."
