11 hours ago
Cops billed me nearly £600 after taking away two stolen bikes for fingerprints – I'm absolutely fuming
A police spokesman said vehicle recovery fees are set by the government
FEE FURY Cops billed me nearly £600 after taking away two stolen bikes for fingerprints – I'm absolutely fuming
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A SHOCKED crime victim told how cops billed her nearly £600 after taking away two stolen bikes to check for fingerprints.
Heather Hancox, 55, was charged £380 for uplift after they were found dumped — then £26 a day for storage.
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Crooks pinched an off-road scrambler and an e-bike belonging to her son from their shed
Credit: Paul Reid
The mum, from Brechin, said: 'I'm absolutely raging about this. It's a lot of money.
'We were broken into yet we're being billed. Victims of crime shouldn't be treated like this.
'Why should we have to pay anything? We never asked for this to happen. Surely it's the thieves who should be penalised and not us?'
Crooks pinched an off-road scrambler and an e-bike belonging to her son from their shed on June 4 before abandoning them.
Heather said cops told her they were being taken away for forensics tests.
She has now received a letter chasing payment on behalf of a garage in Forfar, with the total now £590.
She added: 'There was never any mention of a cost being involved.
'If that had been spoken about then we would have taken the bikes away ourselves.
'But we were never given that option at any point. As far as we were concerned the police had to take the bikes and that was the end of it.
'We were told someone would get in touch with us about collecting them.'
Moment phone snatcher receives instant karma as he's knocked off his bike by furious Londoners
A police spokesman said vehicle recovery fees are set by the government.
Two lads, aged 18 and 13, have been charged with attempted theft.
