Hi,

I had unpaid fine from 2003 for motoring offences (no MOT, no insurance) totalling £420.

Twice before this warrants were issued for previous fines and I had to go to court to pay them. The last time this happened I was sure everything had been paid so was not aware of this.

I've moved around a bit in the past 9 years, registered to vote and updated my address with banks, driving license and unemployment office but not had any word about this until today when the police visited both my last known address and my mother's house looking for me to execute a warrant for my arrest.

I am no longer living in the UK (have not lived there for 4.5 years) but obviously need to get this sorted.

In 12 days I am flying to US via London - is there any way I can pay this fine and avoid the worry of being arrested in London airport ? I have found an online payment service but will this be possible now that a warrant has been issued (and seems to have been open for some time) ?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

If there is a warrant for that long a time, forget about flying on to US via London. You won't be able to settle up by paying on line if there is a warrant out on you.

I suggest that you contact a London solicitor and arrange to pay the fine and have the warrant quashed before you travel.

Agree the only way I see is to have the solicitor appear for you or representing you and arrange to pay the fine, ( if they will accept just the fine at this point)

Thanks for your advice, I will proceed as suggested. I certainly intend to pay the fine but hope I can do this sooner rather than later.

If anyone can recommend a solicitor who can handle this it would be appreciated.

To close this matter, I have spoken directly to the magistrates court first thing this morning. In case it helps your information collection, the details below.

Payment has been made to them on their automated line (they also offered me the option of paying to them on a manned line in case I was not comfortable using the automated service which I thought was good), my warrant has been cancelled and my details removed from the national police database.
It was also possible that someone could have paid the fine on my behalf.

I was told there has been a change this year in terms of who is responsible for executing such warrants. Until recently, the police held my warrant and were responsible for my apprehension. Now, the officers of the court are holding the warrant and it was their officers who visited yesterday.
They were surprised that I have travelled in and out of the UK 5 times a year for the past 5 years without being arrested... "between you and I maybe it was because the police just did not think it worth their time"... is there really such a low profile attached to such things by the police or did I just speak to someone at the courts who has a strained relationship with the police ?

In any case, it is resolved now and I am glad I reacted to this so quickly because the stress of the past 18 hours was enough.

Thanks again for your clear and to the point guidance.

I live abroad and there is a warrant out for my arrest will they come get me abroad or just wait for me to return uk ?

George, start your own thread to get qualified answers. No, they won't 'come to get you' but you can't border cross from wherever you happen to be.

Your post is not specific; why is there a warrant; not prying but if you are specific IN YOUR OWN POST you may get qualified answers.

Well I was done for dangerous driving and missed a prison sentence by a foot step but got cso suspended sentence of 12 months etc... and a fine of 2000 pound compensation to the injured person that happened to be a police man off duty. I started paying the fine then moved abroad to france and stopped paying the fine because I just can't afford it and I don't want to ever go back to uk for personal reasons anyway. But the other day my mums ex husband which isn't my bio dad but has the same first and family name as me said to me that baillifs are going to take up to 1800 pound worth of stuff from his work place when I don't believe that he has anything to do with this so is he lie ing ? Just to p me off or maybe true? I know there is a warrant out for my arrest but baillifffs threatening someone a lot older and not a look a like to take their stuff when its me there after... don't believe the whole story just for info we have had a lot of arguments since he misstreated my mum so she left... there is a word for people like him beginning with c and ending in t and its not cat.
Thanks

George, I suspect that the baiiffs went to his workplace to ask about you and, while they were at it, gave him a hard time over other matters they had with him, but having nothing to do with you.

OK thanks everyone and I will wait and see if they come looking for me and find me and when I find a good enuff job I will pay off some of the fine. Money makes evil I must be a really nice guy. Sound