A Devon man who quit his job to spend two months hiking around the South West coast for charity was astonished to return home to a traffic violation fine from Kingston Council.
Mr Bray was hiking for charity in south Cornwall when he was issued the fine
Jim Bray, 36, embarked on the 630-mile journey in June – walking on average 13.6 miles every day – to raise money for the Force Cancer Charity and Over and Above.
But when the former NHS press officer returned home on Friday, he found a £130 fine from Kingston Council saying he had made an illegal turn in Thetford Road, New Malden, on Sunday, July 10.
Mr Bray, who lives in Tiverton, in Devon, was walking from the Helford Passage to Falmouth in south Cornwall when he was accused of the driving offence.
He said: “Last year I had a health issue myself and I was encouraged to try and get out and walk a bit more. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I’m very glad I decided to do it.
“I just opened the post last Friday morning and I was a bit surprised to see it.
“It wasn’t so much anger, I just assumed it would be a mistake. I had no intention of paying it.”
Screenshots taken from CCTV sent to Mr Bray showed a white van making the illegal right turn, despite the fact that Mr Bray drives a red Suzuki.
In response he wrote an open letter on Facebook jokingly asking Kingston Council to donate the potential £195 fine to his charitable causes.
NSL Services, the contractor used by the council, has since pledged a £100 donation.
Mr Bray also suggested to the council that it should “use the money to update your CCTV and number plate recognition systems”.
He added: “Obviously I knew I hadn’t driven a car since early June so I knew it must have been some sort of error.
“I’ve been to London a few times but I’ve never been to New Malden.
“It was a joke really, I I didn't think cash-strapped councils would give donations to charities.”
Mr Bray was sent CCTV stills of a white van driving in New Malden - even though he owns a red Suzuki
Mr Bray set off from Somerset on Friday, June 10 as part of the mammoth trek, eventually arriving at the finish line in Dorset last Thursday. So far, he has raised £7,000.
A Kingston Council spokesman said: “We apologise for the inconvenience caused to Mr Bray for what has been a basic administrative error by our contractor.
“The penalty charge notice has been cancelled and our contractors, NSL Services, have offered to make a donation of £100 to his chosen charities as a gesture of goodwill.”
To donate visit virginmoneygiving.com.
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