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Entry/exit ANPR mismatch — different vehicle exited

ANPR site charges based on entry-time vs exit-time exceeding the maximum stay are vulnerable where the entry plate read and exit plate read are not, in fact, the same vehicle. Common causes: (a) plate cloned; (b) similar plate (1 vs I, 0 vs O, 5 vs S misread); (c) two visits in one day with the operator stitching together entry+exit from different visits. Demand via SAR full ANPR data including images of front-and-rear plate reads, and visually compare make/model/colour. Operators often cannot evidence that the entry and exit images are the same physical vehicle.

Legal basis

UK GDPR Art 5(1)(d) accuracy; Civil Evidence Act 1995 s.9; PoFA 2012 Sch 4 para 9(2)(b) (NTK must specify period of parking based on the data)

How to identify this in your case

Charge based on duration; you visited briefly or twice; plate has characters commonly misread; or you have evidence you left earlier.

Sample appeal wording

Dear [OPERATOR], Re: PCN [REF] — Vehicle [REG] — Disputed duration Under UK GDPR Article 15 I require disclosure of: (a) The entry ANPR image (front and/or rear) with full timestamp, with the camera's recognised plate string; (b) The exit ANPR image (front and/or rear) with full timestamp, with the camera's recognised plate string; (c) Any intermediate image readings of the same plate at the site; (d) The confidence score / raw OCR string from each read. I assert that the entry and exit images do not show the same vehicle. [If you have evidence: 'My vehicle is [MAKE/MODEL/COLOUR/distinctive features]; if your photographs show a different vehicle the charge falls.'] Alternatively, my plate may have been misread — characters commonly confused include I/1, O/0, B/8, S/5. Further, under PoFA 2012 Sch 4 para 9(2)(b) the NTK must specify the period of parking. A period derived from mismatched entry/exit images is not a valid 'period of parking' and the NTK is not compliant. The charge is denied pending full disclosure within 28 days. Yours faithfully, [NAME]

Replace [PARKING DATE], [NtK DATE] etc. with your own dates before sending.

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Sources

  • UK GDPR Art 5(1)(d), Art 15
  • PoFA 2012 Sch 4 para 9(2)(b)
  • Civil Evidence Act 1995 s.9

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