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#Post#: 116983--------------------------------------------------
Lambeth 52m PCN (Shannon Grove) – police van obstruction +
signage grounds – representations rejected
DIR By: motor-angel
Date: April 25, 2026, 8:43 am
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Hi all,
I'm looking for advice on a Lambeth moving traffic PCN (code 52m
– motor vehicle prohibition) that I've challenged and had
rejected. Wondering if it's worth taking to the E&TA.
Here's what happened:
I was driving along a road at night in wet conditions when a
large police van in front of me slowed and then stopped just
before a junction ahead, completely blocking my path. At the
same moment I heard sirens from an emergency vehicle approaching
rapidly from behind me. With nowhere to go forward and an
emergency vehicle closing in from the rear, I turned left into
the only available side road as you see in the video, which
turned out to be a motor vehicle prohibited street:
HTML https://youtu.be/UxoSMc22rwE
Reversing on a narrow road in the dark, in the rain, into an
oncoming emergency vehicle was not a safe or realistic option.
Esp[ecially with police behind me. The turn was not a choice —
it was the only safe thing I could do.
The second point i made in my rep: The signage issue
The video and image evidence showing the prohibition sign at the
junction appears to be positioned almost edge-on to approaching
traffic rather than facing it — meaning it wasn't readable as a
prohibitory sign until it was too late to act on it. The no left
turn sign on the approach was also blocked from my view by the
police van which was directly ahead of me the whole time. It was
also night, raining, and the signs were not illuminated.
3rd Representation point: Personal circumstances at the time
Immediately before this journey I had been the victim of a
serious assault and was in a state of significant distress and
shock while driving. I raised this not as a legal defence but as
a mitigating factor going to proportionality. Lambeth didn't
acknowledge it at all in their rejection.
Fourth issue: Council's procedural delay
The PCN was not delivered to my letterbox — it ended up in a
communal area of my building where it could easily have been
missed. When I contacted the council for help, they confirmed in
writing they would respond within 5 working days. They missed
that deadline by a day — and that one day happened to be the
exact day the charge escalated from the discounted rate to the
full rate, leaving me less than half a working day to prepare my
representations. I argued this caused me real prejudice and that
it would be unfair to hold me to the higher charge in those
circumstances.
How Lambeth rejected it
Their rejection letter didn't appear to engage with any of my
specific points. They just repeated that the signs are
reflective so visible at night, lighting isn't needed at 20mph,
and it's the driver's responsibility to observe road signs.
Nothing on the police van, the sign orientation, the personal
circumstances, or the delay issue.
My questions
Is the "forced turn due to police obstruction" argument viable
at E&TA, framed as the contravention not occurring rather than
as mitigation?
Has anyone had success on sign orientation / TSRGD compliance
grounds with video evidence?
Can the personal circumstances (assault/distress) carry any
weight at E&TA or is that purely a mitigation point the
adjudicator can't consider?
Does the council's procedural delay and its impact on my ability
to prepare help at appeal stage, or is that better raised as a
separate maladministration complaint?
Does a boilerplate rejection that completely ignores your actual
arguments count in your favour at tribunal?
Should I file now to protect the deadline and gather evidence
after, or get everything together first?
The rejection letter is dated 23 April. I have until 7 May to
pay the discounted £80, and until 21 May to either pay £160 or
file an E&TA appeal — so I'd ideally like advice before 6 May if
possible. If I do appeal, my understanding is I file online at
www.LondonTribunals.gov.uk and choose between a written/postal
decision or a personal hearing via Microsoft Teams or phone.
It's free to appeal, and if I lose the charge stays at £160 — it
doesn't jump to £240 just for appealing. Can anyone confirm
that's right, and whether a personal hearing is worth
requesting?
Thanks so much for your help I've tried to do as much research
into the technical legalities as possible before posting here,
but you're experience and insight would be invaluable.
Thanks in advance.
HTML https://i.ibb.co/S70XrNbd/image4.png
HTML https://i.ibb.co/ZpYy83ch/Screenshot-2026-03-17-at-17-28-37.png
HTML https://i.ibb.co/LDgTJk0h/image1.png
HTML https://i.ibb.co/v6hPzR1H/image3.png
HTML https://i.ibb.co/WvG3C0W3/image2.png
Lambeth's PCN:
HTML https://ibb.co/G4NTxw2K
My Rep Letter:
HTML https://ibb.co/qZst6Gm
Lambeth Council's response:
HTML https://ibb.co/TxN8FVjg
#Post#: 117014--------------------------------------------------
Re: Lambeth 52m PCN (Shannon Grove) – police van obstruction +
signage grounds – representations rejected
DIR By: Hippocrates
Date: April 25, 2026, 1:47 pm
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Check their website NOW. We win cases because of it. I am happy
to file an appeal.
#Post#: 117280--------------------------------------------------
Re: Lambeth 52m PCN (Shannon Grove) – police van obstruction +
signage grounds – representations rejected
DIR By: motor-angel
Date: April 28, 2026, 5:53 pm
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Hi,
Thanks for reply.
Which website?
I don't see a link.
And could some ideas/advise not be posted here on this website -
Free Traffic Legal Advice? That way it would also help others?
Thanks
#Post#: 117336--------------------------------------------------
Re: Lambeth 52m PCN (Shannon Grove) – police van obstruction +
signage grounds – representations rejected
DIR By: Hippocrates
Date: April 29, 2026, 8:24 am
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www.lambeth.gov.uk/mypcn
#Post#: 117388--------------------------------------------------
Re: Lambeth 52m PCN (Shannon Grove) – police van obstruction +
signage grounds – representations rejected
DIR By: LemonTootski
Date: April 30, 2026, 4:50 am
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okay,
Is anyone else here [on this forum, no private posts or private
links please] able to comment or advise on what to do in a
situation like this?
Do i Make a formal appeal (representation)
or do I appeal to the Environment and Traffic Adjudicators
service
And if so, what would you recommend i put in my appeal?
I appreciate your thoughts,
thanks.
#Post#: 117391--------------------------------------------------
Re: Lambeth 52m PCN (Shannon Grove) – police van obstruction +
signage grounds – representations rejected
DIR By: John U.K.
Date: April 30, 2026, 5:20 am
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It would appear that Lemon Tootski and motor-angel are one and
the same? This is confusing, to say the least . . .
You ask for advice. If you look at Hippocrates' record on this
forum of success in fighting Lambeth cases, I would strongly
advise your taking up his kind offer in Reply#1 above.
--- Quote ---
> Do i Make a formal appeal (representation)
> or do I appeal to the Environment and Traffic Adjudicators
service
--- End Quote ---
You have already posted the rejection of your representation in
your opening post, so next step is tribunal.
What was the outcome of your case here in December?
#Post#: 117396--------------------------------------------------
Re: Lambeth 52m PCN (Shannon Grove) – police van obstruction +
signage grounds – representations rejected
DIR By: ivanleo
Date: April 30, 2026, 5:57 am
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[member=1458]LemonTootski[/member] we don't allow duplicate
accounts.
If Hippocrates has offered to help, I'd take him up on that.
#Post#: 117487--------------------------------------------------
Re: Lambeth 52m PCN (Shannon Grove) – police van obstruction +
signage grounds – representations rejected
DIR By: LemonTootski
Date: May 1, 2026, 3:01 am
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Hi,
Sorry for the confusion. Just to clarify - motor-angel is my
daughter; navigating her own case, and trying to learn my about
this process. i pointed her to this forum. I am currently in
hospital with a chronic condition where she has visited me, and
so, could only point her in this direction - so please adress
this query to her (motor-angel).
Hope this clears things up. thanks.
P.;S - my particular tribunal hearing, i will post a reply
separately. the hearing is very soon.
#Post#: 117500--------------------------------------------------
Re: Lambeth 52m PCN (Shannon Grove) – police van obstruction +
signage grounds – representations rejected
DIR By: John U.K.
Date: May 1, 2026, 5:48 am
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--- Quote from: LemonTootski link ---
>
> Hi,
>
> Sorry for the confusion. Just to clarify - motor-angel is my
daughter; navigating her own case, and trying to learn my about
this process. i pointed her to this forum. . . .
>
--- End Quote ---
Thanks for clearing that up. Please advise your daughter to
visit this thread and to take up @Hippocrates kind offer.
---
I hope your hospital stay is beneficial and not too long.
#Post#: 119999--------------------------------------------------
Re: Lambeth 52m PCN (Shannon Grove) – police van obstruction +
signage grounds – representations rejected
DIR By: motor-angel
Date: May 29, 2026, 7:43 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Hi,
I'm just coming back to update you on this. Didn't want to put
you guys, my family, my Dad through any bureaucracy, and have a
lot to get on with my life, so I just took the hit and paid fine
on this one. Didn't really have the energy to contest it.
I'd not big deal - some you win/some you lose.
Thanks for all the advise given, and i'll look out for this
(along with mums net) in future for interesting consumer advice.
Best Wishes
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