The evidence did not establish the claimed police instruction (2026)

Case 2250431978 / 2025-12-30 / Adjudicator Anju Kaler

Viking Way / Upminster Road South

“I find on balance that the contravention occurred and no exemption applied.”

Anju Kaler

The PCN concerned Viking Way / Upminster Road South. The vehicle was shown travelling opposite to the direction indicated by the blue arrow. The motorist said a police incident had led to an instruction to drive back the way they had come, but had no supporting evidence.

Anju Kaler considered the account on the balance of probabilities. The footage did not show other vehicles travelling that way, and Havering had no notification of the alleged incident. The adjudicator was not persuaded that the claimed defence had been established and refused the appeal on 30 December 2025.

The conclusion was that no exemption applied on the evidence in this case. It should not be rewritten as a rule that a genuine police instruction can never justify a movement. Nor do the short reasons identify the blue sign's diagram number or make a separate finding about every technical sign requirement.

Where an instruction is central to a representation, describe its exact location, time, wording and effect on the route. Supporting footage, a witness or an incident reference can help the authority and tribunal test the account. A plausible explanation still needs to be assessed against the recording and the other available evidence.

Source and case reference

Use case reference 2250431978 in the London Tribunals register to find the official decision. This commentary distinguishes the adjudicator's finding from a possible argument in a different case; previous tribunal decisions do not bind another adjudicator.