A driver got an on-the-spot £30 fine for leaving his car engine running to defrost it while he was in the house.

Stunned Ken Hardman, 45, wanted to warm up his silver Mercedes during a cold snap.

But to his amazement he fell foul of the Road Traffic Act for leaving a car engine running with nobody in attendance.

Ken got a knock on his front door at 8.20am from a policeman, as part of Operation Cold Start which targets areas where car thieves operate.

He said: "The officer asked me if the car outside was mine and said if it was, I was committing a crime."

Ken, of Whittle le Woods, near Chorley, Lancs, said "I think it's outrageous because the car has a function on the automatic key which means the windows and doors can be locked while the engine is running."

Insp Jo Keay said: "The officer tried to offer words of advice but the male refused to accept them and so the officer was left with no option but to issue a fixed penalty notice of £30.

"We appeal to the public not to leave cars running unattended on cold frosty mornings which are easy pickings for thieves."

lmao but it does happen, opportunist theives will av anything nowadays! Not to mention the risk of kids etc...

thats shocking!! whats he sposed to do,get up earlier and wait in the car as it defrosts (i just pour hot water on my windscreen) but this is pathetic,its his car,his risk

Yeah but it is the law, ya not supposed to leave ya vehicle running whilst ya not in it, and it also poses a danger as in school kids and the like getting in and trying to drive it.

stupid law

Maybe so, but then a lot of people would say that about the 30mph law, but it does save lives.

If it save's just one life, it's a sensible enough law to me.

I've heard of a few people around here getting fines for this too.

Its a good scheme IMO.

I never leave my car running without being near it.

Yeah and since he is the type of guy who goe's to the press about it, ya guaranteed if someone had robbed his car, he'd have been moaning about that to anyone who happened to be in the same vacinity of him!

And I dont buy this "car has a function on the automatic key" crap; if someone drives an automatic, that doesnt mean they can break the law by eating and drinking at the wheel, and if they get caught, get away with it, so the same principle should apply here.

abit ott imo, mind you if he had just had listen to the bobbys he might have got away with a warning. i see it as irresponcible (spelling) leaving your car running if you pop in a shop or get some cash out of a hole in the wall. but if your warming your car up on your drive with it locked i can't see the problem.

they will be hitting on people with turbo timers next.

good idea, but as stu says, i cant see a problem leaving the car to warm up on your drive as long as its locked

most cars have remote fobs now that will allow you to lock the car while the engine is running, so where's the problem ?

wot about all the ppl with turbo timers!? i know a fair few ppl who walk away and lock their car withs the timer is keeping the engine running, but as the timers have a cut off if hand break is released is this still covered?

nope..that doesnt constitute an offence.
many emergency vehicles have a "runlock" button that allows the engine to run and therefore power the strobe lights and take the key out of the ignition and lock the vehicle.
as long as the handbrake is set..as soon as its released the engine cuts out.

the offence of "quitting" relates to leaving the engine running or failing to set the handbrake properly on a public road.

Simply had this arsehole take some simple and good advice from the plod there wouldnt have been a problem....as it seems hes not willing to take advice and therefore gets a ticket and moans...

betcha he would moan like crazy had his car been nicked whilst he had left it running!

I belive new Range Rovers have a seperate Diesel heater that warms the car (Seperatly burns deisel) without the engine actually running....