London Mayor Sadiq Khan fell victim to a criminal scam that resulted in his wrongful conviction in absentia for failing to tax a 24-year-old Nissan Micra he does not own. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) and the mayor’s office confirmed the deception, announcing that the prosecution will be formally withdrawn during a scheduled hearing at Hereford Magistrates’ Court.
A Magistrate’s Court Sentence Rooted in Fraud
The Single Justice Procedure and Misdirected Notices
The 55-year-old Labour politician was found guilty last month of keeping an unlicensed vehicle during a private hearing of the Single Justice Procedure conducted by a magistrate in Herefordshire. The court ordered Khan to pay a £220 fine, £85 in costs, and a £35.84 bill for unpaid vehicle tax.
Court records subsequently revealed that official letters regarding the unpaid tax were mailed to Gordon Ramsay’s east London restaurant. At the same time, the vehicle registration was linked to the mayor without his knowledge or consent.
Investigation and Official Retraction
A spokesperson for the mayor stated that the incident was a targeted crime. According to the mayor’s office, this is not the first time Khan has been targeted by fraudsters using his name to register vehicles.
A mayoral adviser informed BBC London that the DVLA initiated an urgent review to reopen the case and clear the conviction. The DVLA confirmed that the prosecution will be officially dropped at the upcoming court session and announced plans to investigate the fraudulent registration.
Motoring Policy Friction Across the Capital
Following Khan’s expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) to cover the whole of London, the mayor faced widespread protests from motorists.
Some disgruntled drivers threatened to register their vehicles in the mayor’s name to saddle him with the daily £12.50 Ulez charge, though authorities have not formally linked the protest tactics directly to the Nissan Micra scam.
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