Five drivers have been banned from the roads after attempting to avoid prosecution by using an illegal service that claims it can make parking tickets 'go away'. So-called NIP-farms have been set up around the country as part of a prolific nationwide scam, where driving offences are pinned on fictitious people.
NIP stands for Notices of Intended Prosecution, which are automatically served by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) after a driving offence, such as speeding, is committed. Registered keepers of the vehicles in question are contacted at the address that the DVLA has for them and they are asked to confirm if it was them driving or someone else.
A GMP investigation has revealed that certain addresses are repeatedly being submitted on these forms, with an array of different names. However, extensive checks show that the nominated drivers are fictitious, and that as a result, officers are being led on a 'wild goose chase', wasting time and money in the process.
