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UNBELIEVABLE :cry: I truly do despair of these brain dead bureaucrats
• News & Star
• News
DVLA apologises to mum forced to take her son's ashes to court
By Dave Gudgeon
Last updated 11:30, Saturday, 18 October 2008
The DVLA has apologised to the distraught mother who was forced to take her son’s ashes into a courtroom to prove he was dead.
But Julie Strange has still not heard personally from the organisation which pestered her for months alleging her dead son failed to inform them about the sale of a mystery vehicle.
The DVLA finally withdrew the complaint against 19-year-old Paul, who died in an accident two years ago, after his mum appeared before magistrates in Workington with his ashes in a wooden casket.
Her plight was exclusively revealed by the News & Star on Wednesday.
The DVLA refused to comment on the case immediately after Tuesday’s court hearing.
But last night it issued a statement saying: “We do everything we can to ensure that our records are accurate, and on the whole they are. Where mistakes are made we are, of course, extremely sorry for any distress caused and in this case we will be urgently examining what happened to ensure lessons are learnt."
But Julie, 43, of Little Salkeld, near Penrith, said last night: “After all the publicity this week I’m sure they won’t be pursuing this any further – and that was the whole point of taking Paul’s ashes to court.
“But it would still be nice to receive a personal apology from the DVLA after all I’ve been through. I’ve been dreading the post coming for the last year because of their actions so I think I deserve that.”
Mrs Strange took her action after the DVLA began sending letters to her dead son in August 2007 alleging he failed to tell them about the sale of a vehicle.
She rang each time to explain that Paul was dead and had never owned the vehicle. She even sent a copy of his death certificate.
She finally decided the only way to get her message across was to bring his ashes to court.
After the hearing she said: “I thought long and hard about doing what I did today. But I was really worried that if I didn’t turn up then Paul would be found guilty in his absence and fined. Then he would be pursued by the police............. & (my words) debt collectors
• News & Star
• News
DVLA apologises to mum forced to take her son's ashes to court
By Dave Gudgeon
Last updated 11:30, Saturday, 18 October 2008
The DVLA has apologised to the distraught mother who was forced to take her son’s ashes into a courtroom to prove he was dead.
But Julie Strange has still not heard personally from the organisation which pestered her for months alleging her dead son failed to inform them about the sale of a mystery vehicle.
The DVLA finally withdrew the complaint against 19-year-old Paul, who died in an accident two years ago, after his mum appeared before magistrates in Workington with his ashes in a wooden casket.
Her plight was exclusively revealed by the News & Star on Wednesday.
The DVLA refused to comment on the case immediately after Tuesday’s court hearing.
But last night it issued a statement saying: “We do everything we can to ensure that our records are accurate, and on the whole they are. Where mistakes are made we are, of course, extremely sorry for any distress caused and in this case we will be urgently examining what happened to ensure lessons are learnt."
But Julie, 43, of Little Salkeld, near Penrith, said last night: “After all the publicity this week I’m sure they won’t be pursuing this any further – and that was the whole point of taking Paul’s ashes to court.
“But it would still be nice to receive a personal apology from the DVLA after all I’ve been through. I’ve been dreading the post coming for the last year because of their actions so I think I deserve that.”
Mrs Strange took her action after the DVLA began sending letters to her dead son in August 2007 alleging he failed to tell them about the sale of a vehicle.
She rang each time to explain that Paul was dead and had never owned the vehicle. She even sent a copy of his death certificate.
She finally decided the only way to get her message across was to bring his ashes to court.
After the hearing she said: “I thought long and hard about doing what I did today. But I was really worried that if I didn’t turn up then Paul would be found guilty in his absence and fined. Then he would be pursued by the police............. & (my words) debt collectors
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