It is a terraced house in Oldham in a small street. But it is suspected of being one of many in the area used for a scam which is operating nationwide.
Police believe the property has been used 140 times by criminals who are being paid hundreds of pounds by drivers to make speeding tickets "go away". Twenty two other addresses in the town are implicated in the same way and one in Accrington has been used 50 times.
The ruse has allowed dangerous drivers to avoid prosecution but an investigation has led to more than 120 drivers facing the justice they tried to avoid. Two people suspected of being organisers behind the racket have been arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice.
The properties used are known as "NIP farms" named after the Notices of Intended Prosecution issued by Greater Manchester Police after an offence is committed. The forms are returned to the police with a fake name and address, by the criminals, creating a "ghost driver" who they say was behind the wheel.
The police then respond by sending the fictitious person a letter informing them they are the nominated driver. Following no response the matter is then put before the courts and proven in the fictitious driver's absence. Taxpayers money is then wasted pursuing the driver for payment of fines and a "ghost" driving licence record is created by the DVLA, at more expense.
But this week after a six month investigation, which is ongoing, the cases of 126 drivers were heard at Manchester and Salford Magistrates after they were accused of using the scam to try and dodge tickets for speeding, jumping red lights, and driving without due care and attention. All were accused of failing to furnish driver details by providing an inaccurate or misleading response to a requirement to provide driver details and hit with fines and a mandatory six points on their licence.
Those convicted included taxi drivers, businessmen, and even doctors. One Greater Manchester construction company has been hit with fines totalling £15,000 after 13 such convictions for vehicles linked to the firm, including BMWs and Mercedes. Offences of those attempting to dodge ticket range from doing 38 mph in a 30mph speed limit to doing 101 mph on the motorway.
Of the 126 drivers, 78 admitted - or were found guilty of the offence, with 36 of these ordered to further attend court for consideration of disqualification. One driver from Stockport has five offences they have failed to previously answer for.
In the remaining 48 cases - of which 15 are businesses - they will be attending court for a case management hearing and possibly also face a six-point penalty fine.
The scam starts when a driver is issued with a speeding ticket. They then respond to services offered online which promise to make it go away. Paul Rowe, manager of GMP's Central Ticket Office, said: "There may well then be a meeting in a café where the NIP form is handed over and cash. People may pay anything from £350 to £800."
The scam is believed to highly lucrative for organised crime groups. The NIP farms may often be the homes of vulnerable people who are being "cuckooed" by the gangs and have no choice but to co-operate.
Mr Rowe said: "A NIP form is sent out to every registered keeper of every vehicle that is identified as committing an offence. It could be speeding, going through red lights, driving while using a mobile phone. We write then to the registered keeper outlining the time, date, location and what offence it is. A lot of the public own up an say 'yes it was me'. They then might be suitable for a course; or if the speed means it cannot be dealt with that way they will get three points on their licence and a fine. They would admit it by signing the form saying they are the driver. It would be dealt with by a clerk and a magistrate sitting in their absence.
"The ones we are looking at are people that had had the notice delivered and then give it to another member of the public, sometimes they don't even know who they are but they have picked them up via adverts on Twitter and Instagram. A lot of it is done by drop it off or hand me the form. We know people are charging £350, but if you have a large number of points and you are a taxi driver it could be £800. They will pay that person to make it go away.
"They use an fictitious name and address and send the form back into the police. When we contact them at that address saying you have been nominated as a driver, and would you believe we get no reply, because that person does not exist. It goes through the justice system and you get fined points on your licence, DVLA are notified and if you don't have a licence they will create a ghost licence with a fictitious name and false date of birth.
"The courts then send out a reminder saying your fine is so much and you have so much time to pay it. If it doesn't get paid it goes to finance people knocking on your door demanding the money. Then the people at the address say 'I don't know what you are talking about'."
Chief Inspector Ronnie Neilson of the Roads Policing Unit and head of GMP's Serious Collision Investigations Unit, said: "Cuckooing is where often vulnerable people are being taken advantage of by criminals. That's what we have seen in this. Their addresses are used. Some are aware of what is happening to them, but it is a case of are they in a position to say no? It is where there is intimidation, coercion, and a lot of pressure is put on them. It really is a quite unpleasant, nasty crime."
Mr Rowe said: "Sometimes the handwriting on the forms that are filled in falsely are the same. Sometimes we can have three or four come in one envelope nominating different drivers and different addresses. They are not that smart some of them. Sometimes it can appear that there are 28 people, say, living at the same terraced house in Oldham. That's where we got our information from."
Chief Inspector Neilson said: "We have large amount of people linked to one address which is not feasible. Our systems and processes will highlight that." Explaining the reason behind the investigation he added: "The reason we are doing this is because it is part of our road danger reduction strategy. High risk driving on the roads is costing lives and injuries. We had 71 people die on Greater Manchester's roads in 2021 which is far too many preventable deaths. It is all linked back to a number of offences, using a mobile phone, impairment through drink or drugs, not wearing seat belts, and speeding.
"These drivers have been carrying on without the fear of enforcement. That's changing now. We are expanding our Roads Policing Unit, doubling our traffic units, and looking at expanding our ticket office. If people think they can't get caught it means they are driving dangerously, and that's what we intend to put a stop to."
Mr Rowe said many of those now face being disqualified, with over 12 points on their licence. "These people have abused the system and they should not be driving. They think they will never get caught because they have this system in place - well it's the end of the road for them."
He said of those using the scam: "Some are respectable - doctors, taxi drivers, and then we also have serious criminals." Chief Inspector Neilson said: "We have businesses as well, who are flouting the law this way, which makes you think, 'how they are operating as businesses?'
Kath Bailey of the Central Ticket Office, said: "We had a business where we placed 13 failing to furnish driver details cases before the court - they didn't respond to any of the notices. Therefore the offences were proved in their absence and they got £15,040 in total awarded against them. We have kept our eye on it and noticed a few more vehicles registered to the same company are due in court for the same offence. We are talking BMWs, nice cars."
She added: "This issue is nationwide. We are the first force that has ever done anything like this, it is groundbreaking." Ms Bailey added that may of the drivers now hit with six penalty points and fines for providing false information could have just paid £90 to attend a speed awareness course and avoided penalty points if they had admitted their offence. "It's three hours out of your life and once you have attended the course that's the end of it," she said. Instead they have found a way where they think they could avoid having any penalty and they have ended up with stiff fines and a mandatory six points.
Other forces across the UK are now monitoring GMP's crackdown on the scam, with a view to taking action themselves in the future. "We are very good relationships with the courts and the magistrates are very pro this when we put cases before them," said Mr Rowe.
A quick search on Facebook and the companies offering to remove speeding tickets can be found. They are then contacted by messaging back.
In a statement GMP said: "Police have questioned two men from Oldham - both aged in their 20s - who were arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice as part of the town's Operation Avro day of action in March. They have both been questioned in custody and currently remain under investigation pending a range of widespread and ongoing enquiries, with other suspects being sought across Greater Manchester and nationwide."
Mr Rowe said: "This is the first time that such large volumes of offences of this nature have ever been placed before the courts and it shows our commitment in ensuring that anyone using this scam is found and handed nothing short of the mandatory six-point penalty.
"The staff in the GMP Central Ticket Office have worked tirelessly investigating the offences and have introduced a robust and nationwide leading process which ensures all offenders who utilise NIP farms are brought to justice.
"We've had drivers retrospectively hold their hands up in admitting the original offence, but we will not accept it. If you are found to be using this scam then expect a summons through the post, and if you're running a NIP farm then know we are investigating you and you will be arrested."
Chief Inspector Neilson said: "It is nationwide scam that is seeing us work closely with other forces to clamp down on unscrupulous individuals running these farms and stop offending drivers from continuing to try and cheat justice.
"In 2021 71 families were given the most heart-breaking news and have had to come to terms with an excruciating loss - speeding is often a leading cause in these devastating incidents occurring. Criminals and drivers caught trying to benefit - financially or by escaping traffic convictions - from the NIP farm scam will be particularly sought after and hauled before courts in their dozens to face the consequences of trying to dodge the law and undermine the safety of Greater Manchester's roads."
If you have any information about NIP farm scams – people running them or drivers utilising them – then contact GMP online via their LiveChat facility or by calling 101 quoting Operation Manheim.
More information on keeping safe on our roads can be found here.
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