A man from Welshpool says he has reached a settlement with the Home Office after beating a £3,000 fine for finding two stowaways in his motorhome.

Mike Vaughan, who was threatened with a £3,000 fine following an incident during a ferry journey home from France in October 2023, has received a settlement from the Home Office for his expenses.

Mr Vaughan was due to appear at Wrexham County Court on August 30 to cover his costs after fighting a £3,000 fine from the Home Office, but the case was ultimately settled out of court.

“I’m more than happy with the settlement. It’s good to put it all behind me. The slate should be clean now.

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“It was quite a lengthy process to resolve the issue, especially as I was mostly handling it myself as I wasn’t able to get legal representation when the fine was first levelled against me. It really opens your eyes to the system and what might be wrong with it.

“I’ve had four months of fighting this fine, but the whole ordeal started almost a year ago.

“It leaves a few unanswered questions over how this happened in the first place, but at least it’s been sorted as far as I’m concerned.”

The dispute began in October 2023 when, after travelling to France for the Rugby World Cup, he found two stowaways in his campervan, who had likely got in 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.

Mr Vaughan presented documents and evidence at Wrexham County Court showing what had happened, with the Home Office dropping its charges shortly afterwards.

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. 

“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.

"It makes me worried that other people have been put in a similar situation.”

The Home Office has been contacted for comment.