‘No I don’t want to be named if that’s OK because I feel the law enforcement officers might target me, they could hang around the place where I live. It actually happened in the Swannery car park.
I had just come out of the the Swannery nature reserve having walked my dog around there. I was going to see a friend so I was walking right by the trees and bushes on the left hand side of the Swannery car park going towards Mcdonalds. I was walking on the road the cars use to exit the car park but I was in the kerb. It started raining really heavily so I stood under a tree, drop my dogs lead (never run off and there was absolutely no one around and hardly any cars in the car park) to take off my rucksack, and my coat to get my hoodie out of my bag, put that on, then my coat and then my bag back on. I received a phone call which was quick. I never moved from under the tree and my dog was probably about a foot or so away from me. It was only for about a minute or two. I walked forward pick up his lead and was shocked as 2 young law enforcement officers came up behind me reading me my rights and saying I had committed an offence. I said about the rain and they must have seen that I’d put my coat on etc but they didn’t want to listen and just kept asking me for my details. One of them was extremely intimidating as he was tall and stocky. I walked away because I thought it was ridiculous that they could issue a fine to me for that. He then said I was committing another offence by walking away and said they were calling the police which panicked me even more!!!
I continued walking out of the exit car park and over the busy main roads over king street, they both followed me, all the time saying I was committing another offence, the other one was on his phone calling the police, that’s what he said anyway. I walked up another 2 streets in town. I quickly went in a friends house and shut the door. I was in there for a while but was panicking because I suffer from anxiety. I went out the back way and one of the officers was stood at the entrance to the private car park and the other one still at the front door so I went back in. Then someone said about going another way which took me onto King street, I went up towards the clock and then got to my home. They apparently stayed at the other location for a very long time. I was really shaken up and had to take a my medication because I felt like I was going to have a panic attack. I was so scared the police were going to turn up.
Could you please not mention my dogs name. I have messaged a Councillor and she has messaged them. Its been done it on my behalf as I didn’t want to be named. I’ve been told that if they follow me or intimidate me in anyway I’m to call the police. Another person who knows all about the law said if you don’t give them your details you’re not entering into a contract with them and they can’t do anything. I agree with fines where necessary but they are fining people for no reason at all.’
Anonymous (for obvious reasons)
