Man arrested for using £20 coin at Stockton petrol station

The man, who is known by Eye Spy Audit on YouTube, claims he was arrested by Cleveland Police for making off without payment at a BP garage in Stockton after using a specialist £20 Royal Mint coin.

Following the arrest, which happened in November 2022, he has now taken legal action against the police and has been awarded £4000.

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Cleveland Police has confirmed that the settlement has taken place - but has insisted that the man wasn't detained for "longer than necessary".

The arrest first came to light after Eye Spy Audit shared his experience on YouTube, which has so far been viewed 135,000 times. 

You can watch the full video from Eye Spy Audit on YouTube by clicking here.

He has also shared a statement with The Northern Echo, explaining the incident: "I was unlawfully arrested for using a £20 coin to pay for fuel for making off without payment even though I never left the store.

"I was detained for just over two hours, with no questioning, I wasn't even put in handcuffs or even a cell. You just couldn't make it up.

"I took legal action as Cleveland Police refused to accept liability for the unlawful arrest.

The coin that was used at the BP garage (Image: EYE SPY AUDIT)

"They have provided no apology whatsoever, but paid £4,000, but only after taking the Chief Constable to Court. The payout has just been done the last few weeks."

In the video, which Eye Spy Audit shared on YouTube, the cashier at the petrol station refuses to accept the £20 coin, before a police officer arrives and says she's never "seen [one of] them in her life".

The driver explains: "It's from the Royal Mint so the same place where all legal tender comes from", before he's asked to use an alternative form of payment or give her his details.

In the video, one officer tells her colleague: "He obviously won't give us his details, I've explained to him that to a degree it is a civil matter, however if he does make off and he doesn't give us his details, we're struggling for any sort of civil issue at a later date, any details and he's making off without payment."

The man claims he was arrested for trying to use the £20 coin (Image: EYE SPY AUDIT)

They added that if the man gave the police his details, they could resolve it later, however, he refused, explaining "because it's a civil issue and it's nothing for the police to get involved in".

The police officer replies: 'But you're still going to make off aren't you? Technically without payment,' to which the man responded that he had paid and that 'it is the store's policy to accept the £20 coin'.

A second officer then says: "If you walk out that door now you are liable for an arrest because we don't have your details' and 'to make off without payment is a police matter".

In the YouTube video, the back-and-forth goes on for a while, before he is eventually arrested off-camera.

However, he claims that after this, the Custody Sergeant did not authorise the arrest.

Iain Gould, the man's solicitor who specialises in claims against the police, said: "A £20 coin is a legal tender of the realm, but here the Police Officers involved seem to forget their oath to uphold the laws of the land and instead acted as if they were bouncers for BP Fuel Stations.

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"Hopefully my client’s action will remind the Police where their true duty lies." 

In response to the video circulating and the incident, a spokesperson from Cleveland Police said: "A settlement was made to an individual following an incident at a petrol station whereby a man was arrested.

"This was later deemed to be a civil matter. The detention of the man was for no longer than necessary and the man was released once his name and address were provided.

"As is the case with any complaint or claim, we will look at any learning or feedback to individuals or departments as necessary."