The following is the near-verbatim contents of a letter I recently received. It has been redacted for the privacy of the individuals involved, and cunningly revised. Can you tell what the letter was actually about? (Note: this is an issue that affects British people, and those in some other countries. It will be unfamiliar to Canadians and Americans.) Can you tell what bothers me about it?
To the Legal Occupier,
We're writing to inform you that we have authorised Enforcement Officers to visit your home. If they find evidence that you own a firearm illegally, they can take your statement under caution in accordance with the relevant criminal law.
We are taking this step because:
- According to our records, there is no Firearm Licence for this address
- You must have a Firearm Licence to own a firearm
- We have tried to contact you about this, but have received no reply
An enforcement visit is the first step in our action to seek prosecution. Please be aware that should your case go to court, your statement can be used as evidence. The maximum penalty is a fine of £XXXX. We take this offence extremely seriously, and catch around 1,000 evaders every day.
We strongly advise that you act to stop our investigation by buying a Firearm Licence. You can do this in minutes by visiting www.firearmlicensing.co.uk or by calling 08XX XXX XXXX. A licence costs £XXX.XX for a rifle and £XXX.XX for a pistol.
Yours faithfully,
XXXXXX XXXXXX
Regional Manager
Scotland East Enforcement Team
If you have recently moved home, please transfer your old Firearm Licence to your new address. You can do this at www.firearmlicensing.co.uk/moving or by calling 08XX XXX XXXX. Please have your Firearm Licence number to hand.
If you don't have a firearm, please let us know by calling 08XX XXX XXXX.
How to Pay:
- Visit www.firearmlicensing.co.uk to pay by Direct Debit, debit card or credit card.
- Call 08XX XXX XXXX to pay by Direct Debit, debit card or credit card
- Go to any PayPoint outlet to pay by cash or debit card.
- More ways to pay are listed overleaf.
Cat license?
ReplyDeleteI know who it is and I totally hate their threatening letters, heavy handed approach and assumption of guilt. It's shocking. Do remember that if one of their inspectors comes to your door you are under no legal obligation to let them in unless they have a police warrant.
ReplyDeleteI know who it is, and completely agree with what Clare said. I've received two threatening letters in the time I've lived here. One was a bill, one was a thinly veilled threat about what I'd need to know when they prosecuted me. I've lived in this country about a month and I hope it doesn't happen again any time soon. It's completely over the top. And I'm not breaking the law, which makes their letters even more offensive.
ReplyDeleteDitto! V obnoxious.
ReplyDelete