Bullying victimises my mother

• AS I emerged from my car on June 29 I was surprised to be met by a bailiff from Camden Council who then proceeded to clamp my car. 

I was told this was a result of my not paying the fine for a supposed traffic offence on December 23 2010. 

The bailiff could give me no further information and to date I have received no copy of the penalty notice; nor have I had any communications from Camden by way of follow-up notices or warnings of penalties. By the time the bailiff arrived the penalty had been referred to Northampton County Court and the penalty had increased to £536.

I use my car to help in the care of my 88-year-old mother, who lives in Camden and am recognised as her main carer by the council. Without my car I am unable to care for her while holding down a full-time job. My pleas to this effect have fallen on deaf ears. Because my car is vital to my caring duties I have always been scrupulous about paying any traffic fines.

In this case, I have yet to be given evidence of any wrongdoing yet I am advised that any court will judge the matter on the “balance of probabilities”. Therefore I have little choice but to pay an ever-mounting fine or risk having my possessions seized by bailiffs. The court in Northampton is almost impossible to contact. Phones are never answered. I am unable to afford legal representation or to take time off to attend the court. 

These are bullying tactics of a despicable kind of which the ultimate victim is an elderly lady suffering from a hip fracture, stroke and dementia who has lived for most of her working life in Camden paying her council taxes there for over 50 years. I should like to use your columns to appeal to Camden at least to have the courtesy to send me a copy of the original penalty notice – if this exists.

KATHERNE EISNER
Aberdeen Road, N5

Published: 21 July, 2011