A resident of Colchester was fined by ‘cowboy’ private enforcement officers for cycling in Colchester town centre. Read his testimony below:
I was handed a PSPO ticket (under Section 59 of the Anti-Social Behavior, Crime and Policing Act 2014) for cycling up West Stockwell Street on 3rd June 2024, and then onto the high street. I had given way to the pedestrians during joining the high street, but did not dismount.
I then crossed the road to the cycle rack opposite West Stockwell street, and went to lock my bike to the rack.
I was then stopped and spoken to as I was locking my bike outside McDonalds, by someone who I now realise worked for the private enforcement company WISE.
Although first I was accused of cycling on the pavement (which I did not), I was then told that I should have dismounted at the end of West Stockwell Street, where it joins the high street. There is no sign saying that you must dismount bicycles there (or any other signs for that matter). I told him he could mail me the information relating to the fine, rather than paying on the spot (I’m glad I did that).
When I actually received the letter from WISE, it stated that the offence I had committed was “Using a Bicycle in such a manner as to cause damage to property or that causes or is likely to cause intimidation, harassment, alarm, distress, nuisance or annoyance to any person, outside McDonalds, High street, Colchester”. So I guess he changed his mind on what I had done wrong. All I had done with my bike outside McDonald’s was lock it to the bike rack. I always cycle down the high street, when in town, and never on the pavements as it’s so busy!
I e-mailed WISE on 11th June and said that I felt I had been inappropriately fined.
I then e-mailed Citizens Advice Colchester, and the first reply I got explained what I’d been fined for, and recommended I should pay it. I then replied back saying I wasn’t sure why I’d been fined, as I didn’t feel I had done anything wrong, and got a reply from another adviser recommending I contact the council. (He was a lovely guy, and sent me a couple of e-mails to assist me follow this up.)
I did e-mail the council (14th June), but did not get any reply from them for a while (even though they say they will reply in 5 days or something like that).
Finally, it was on the 24th June I received two e-mails from the Council. One at 9:30am saying the fixed penalty notice had been cancelled, and no further action would be taken, and then another just before 5pm apologising for the delay in responding, and providing some links to information about cycling in Colchester, and also saying they had forwarded my original email on to WISE!
As a final word, I think there is a need for some kind of enforcement, as there are some cyclists who could do with some advice at least on their cycling habits. However, in my case the person who tried to issue me with a fine was clearly trying his luck, and was prepared to fabricate a story to try and get me fined, which is what angered me greatly. I guess that is always the risk when the wardens are effectively paid on how many fines they issue, and there is no way to easily regulate their behaviour.
William Innocent, Colchester