So, the missus was out at lunch, and while out, someone smacked our car, and drove off.

The car was parked under a camera at the local M&S, so she had a word with security, who said they'd review the tapes.

Now while i'd love to believe them, i know they most likely wont bother, and im sure their tapes will only last a couple of days before being overwritten.

So the question is, how long do i wait before chasing them? Is it worth contacting the police? would they even care? or go to the effort of contacting M&S and trying to get the tapes?

Looking at the damage (smashed rear light, and scratched bumper), its only £200 worth of damage, but theres a principle involved.

I wouldt of left untill i had a copy to be honest, they can do it there and then.

the way iv always seen it is that it is illegal to leave the scene of the accident regardless if they other parties car was empty or not without leaving some form of contact details.

In all honesty id go back down to M&S now and just say my missus has come home with a damaged car, iv only just found out, i want the CCTV or the police will be getting involved

For all you know it could of been one the staff cars that hit yours and they have had a quiet words with security to say there is no CCTV footage..i know its a long shot but these things you never know

Edited 16 February, 201214 yr by Ema_jane

i dont think they are allowed to give you the cctv footage.

if they do they are legally obliged to blank out the faces of everyone not involved with the incident

this would take them an eternity to do.

the police can see the unedited footage but would they get involved as no-one has been injured ?

You are entitled to see the CCTV footage by law under the Data Protection Act if you have reasonable grounds to suggest that your own movements have been recorded. Assuming your wife parked the car then she is entitled to view the footage.

I was involved in a fight in a busy takeaway a few years ago and arrested. I knew I hadn't even raised my hand so did my homework, obtained a copy of the CCTV footage and showed it to the Police. As soon as they saw what had happened all charges were dropped.

You don't need to be firm with M&S Security just read up on what's required, know your rights and go armed with the right info...

Whilst the CCTV might show the incident occurring, chances are the footage will be useless at identifying the culprit. Most CCTV these days is digital, tapes are a thing of the past and to keep storage requirements to a minimum the footage is usually quiet low resolution. This will mean you could identify the make and model / colour of the car, but it will not be detailed enough to read the registration plate, especially from a distance. A cracked light and damaged bumper could be caused without the other party even realising they had hit anything, especially if a larger car like a 4x4.

Get the police involved or at least report it at your local station.

It will then at least be on record and you can tell them it may be on camera and they can check it out.

I used to work at M&S (one year as part of my uni degree) which involved several secondments in all the different departments. My fortnight in security was a real eye opener.

I've no doubt all stores are different but the quality of the CCTV in the York store is fantastic. To be able to see thieves concealing clothing and food on their person required a very high resolution. We had a policy of always prosecuting so we needed to be able to identify the suspect without question.

It's only theft when they leave the store so the outside cameras needed to be as good as the internal ones.

Report to the police as a criminal offence to leave the scene of an accident.

Let them deal with M&S and give any crime ref to your insurer. They'll find them

Needs to be done via police. Data protection blah blah blah. I cant even see the CCTV of my own accident at work without filling out forms, getting authorisation and stuff. They can just dish it out willy nilly.

The Police aren't going to put a lot of effort into a parking scrape. They will simply advise you to contact your insurers.

If you are lucky enough to get a local bobby to come out and see you unless someone was injured then they won't be doing the leg work for you.

Needs to be done via police. Data protection blah blah blah. I cant even see the CCTV of my own accident at work without filling out forms, getting authorisation and stuff. They can just dish it out willy nilly.

That's your employer being an ass, nothing to do with the law.

Requesting a copy of the footage couldn't be easier, I know, I've done it...

How to request CCTV footage

You have the right to access images of yourself that may have been recorded by a CCTV camera system. This is because the Data Protection Act of 1998 means that organisations have to make any personal data available to you if you request it.

You will need to make a request in writing to the owner of the CCTV system. The owner's details are usually written on a sign attached to the camera. You will need to provide enough information so that you can be identified in the footage, for example a specific date and time, and a description of yourself and your clothing.

The organisation must give you a copy of the CCTV footage within 40 days of you asking for it. You may be charged a fee of up to £10.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/HomeAndCommunity/WhereYouLive/SaferStreets/DG_10034524

Thanks, you guys confirmed my thoughts.

I'll go annoy M&S again tomorrow then.

Freedom of Information (FOI) will enable you to get the CCTV footage. Your car and clearly you will be on the CCTV so you are entitled to a copy. You may be asked to pay for it but it is perfectly legal for you to request and be given a copy. I used to work at Building Society when all this FOI legislation came in so know quite a bit about it

Freedom of Information (FOI) will enable you to get the CCTV footage. Your car and clearly you will be on the CCTV so you are entitled to a copy. You may be asked to pay for it but it is perfectly legal for you to request and be given a copy. I used to work at Building Society when all this FOI legislation came in so know quite a bit about it

FOI only applies to public/government bodies not private companies.

Ah sorry was thinking council then....it was late at night. There is similar legislation for CCTV footage access. We used to charge £12 for a tape if a request was made and anyone could make the request.

As others have said get down the old bill and speak to them. It's failure to stop. End of the day it's an accident and failing to report it/leave a note is a criminal offence.

Just a quick update, M&S got in touch, but no video footage, camera were not pointing in the right direction. :'(

Guess i'll have to take the costs on the chin :(

Only plus for me, was that in amoungst all the glass that the missus picked up, was loads of clear glass, which doesn't match my broken rear light, so at least the mofo that did this to me, will have to pay for their own repairs.