A man from Welshpool who found two stowaways in his motorhome during a border journey has managed to beat the £3,000 fine levelled at him.

After a potential £3,000 fine following an incident during a ferry journey from France was dropped, Welshpool businessman Mike Vaughan has said he felt “bullied” during the episode.

In October 2023 Mr Vaughan was returning home after a Rugby World Cup match in France when he found two stowaways in his campervan, who had likely boarded his motorhome while it was boarding the cross-Channel ferry.

Despite alerting the Border Authorities and “doing everything the way I was supposed to”, Mr Vaughan received a letter saying that he could be fined £3,000 for not reporting the stowaways, despite telling authorities as soon as he found them.

He said: “Basically, I wrote a letter of objection to the Home Office, who replied to say that after some consideration the fine would be upheld, so I had no choice but to take it to an appeal.

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“I went to Wrexham County Court, where I issued the documents and evidence to show what had happened. The judge allowed the case to go to appeal, but after that the Home Office got back to me to say that the charges have been dropped.

“The judge said that it will now go to trial over whether I will be reimbursed for my costs in dealing with the whole ordeal.”

In challenging the fine, Mr Vaughan said he felt that “scare tactics” had been used against him and was concerned for other people in the same situation.  

He added: “The whole episode has reminded me, in a small way, of the Post Office scandal earlier this year. What came to light was that people had been bullied into paying fines under threat of incurring even more costs if they challenged it. I felt bullied myself.

“I remember being told that I could be facing a multi-thousand-pound cost by fighting this, having to pay the fine, my own legal costs and those of the government as well. It felt like scare tactics.

“As this was all happening at the border, I asked an officer there how often things like this happen and was told it’s a daily occurrence.

"It makes me worried that other people have been put in a similar situation. If anyone has, I’d encourage them to reach out to me for any advice I could offer.”

Mr Vaughan will be heading back to court later in August to decide whether any legal costs he’s had as a result of the fine will be reimbursed.