Biker left angry after being put on police database

The 51-year-old biker, from Hayling Island, was stunned when he received a letter from Sussex police saying he had been reported to the force by another driver.

The letter alleges he undertook a car on the A27 westbound near Havant.

The report from the other driver, outlined in the letter, stated: ‘We were in the fast lane of the bypass when this motorbike came up behind us and turned his full beam on while tailgating us.

‘He then undertook us and pulled in front.’

The letter, signed by Superintendent Christopher Moon, head of road policing for Sussex Police, stated the Hayling biker was reported to Operation Crackdown and the incident will be held on a database for 12 months.

The biker, who did not want to be named, told The News: ‘How can the police have an official database where they take other people’s word for stuff?

‘I have not even spoken to them. You can’t go round doing things like this.

‘It’s a huge waste of police money. If I started my own database for bad people who live in Havant, there would be outrage.

‘What other databases are the police putting people’s names on?’

The letter states the incident ‘does not constitute a driving offence’, but if another report comes in, the matter may be passed to the local neighbourhood or roads policing team.

The motorcyclist added: ‘What’s the point of it? I think it’s absolutely outrageous. I did not undertake whatsoever. I am entitled to drive at 70mph on the inside lane, which is I what I did.

‘There’s no such thing as a “fast lane”.’

A statement from Sussex Police said: ‘Operation Crackdown is an online reporting tool provided by Sussex Police and supported by the Sussex Safer Roads Partnership. Crackdown allows members of the public to report drivers of vehicles who, in their view, may have been driving anti socially, such as using a hand-held mobile phone, not wearing a seatbelt or tailgating.

‘Crackdown is not an enforcement tool but part of the educational side of road safety and seeks to remind drivers of vehicles about the rules of the road by sending an advisory letter – aiming to reduce the amount of killed or serious injury collisions there are each year. Every report received is viewed and a decision is made against a set of criteria on how best to deal with it. In the majority of cases a letter of advice is sent to the driver or rider.’

A spokeswoman for Hampshire police said: ‘We are aware of this reporting tool in Sussex and will be reviewing it to establish whether such a scheme would be of use to Hampshire.’

For more details on Operation Crackdown visit OperationCrackdown.org or call 01243 642222.