Over the top policing

Last Sunday I was riding my one-week-old motorcycle to Betws-y-Coed in North Wales, I was traveling behind a car at approximately 25 mph (60 mph limit) when a police officer stopped me.

When I asked him why he had stopped me, he stated it was due to my rear registration number plate being under size by 12mm. He then presented me with a summons. I would like to add that although my number plate was under sized by 12mm, it could be very easily read.

I was rather shocked and continued into Betws-y-Coed to read the summons he had given me. On the summons it states that he should only stop me if, and I quote

“The vehicle reg, which you were driving, was seen in circumstances, which gave me reasonable cause to believe that the offence indicated below was being or had been committed”

This intrigued me, as there was no way he could possibly have seen my rear number plate prior to stopping me. So I went back to hear what he had to say for himself, as to why he had stopped me. He said that motorcyclists are a nuisance around here, they always crash, and we have to block the roads off, it’s not even 12 o clock yet and there’s been two bike accidents, one at the Horseshoe Pass and the other, I didn’t quite catch where he said.

He then went on to say that if I didn’t shut up he would arrest me. So, have the police got the rights to stop you when they like? Even if they have no reasonable cause to believe that an offence was being or had been committed.