Bungling police sent a man a reminder not to break the speed limit – despite him being dead.
Ruby Whitworth shared a picture of the letter on Twitter which was addressed to her dad Stephen Webber with a picture taken two years ago when he was caught speeding.
Sussex Police sent the letter, dated January 25, as a reminder to encourage Mr Webber to ‘start as you mean to go on’ and ‘keep to the speed limit this New Year.’
Responding to Ruby’s tweet, Sussex Police apologised on Twitter and offered their ‘sincerest apologies’ but Ruby saw the funny side of the blunder.
She said: “If he was alive, it would have been completely appropriate for him.
“Unlike some people my mum and I found it hilarious.”
Mr Webber was caught speeding in Brighton, East Sussex in January 2017 but died before police sent the reminder two years later.
The letter, signed by CS Neil Honnor at Sussex Police, read: “Since the New Year is time for aspirations and resolutions, I wanted to send you this reminder to encourage you to stick to the limit this year.
“On behalf of the Sussex Police, I’d like to encourage you to start as you mean to go on – keep the peed limit this New Year.
The letter continued: “In Sussex, two people are killed or seriously injured on our roads every day, one of the highest rates in the UK.
“A lot of thought goes into speed limits – hey take into account the history of accidents in the areas.
“That’s why we enforce them, we want to keep the roads of Sussex safe.
“Please help us to keep the roads safe and ensure you do not break the speed limit in 2019.”
Following the blunder, Sussex Police responded to Ruby’s tweet and said the initiative was intended to keep the roads safe.
A spokesperson tweeted: “Hi Ruby, we’d like to offer our sincerest condolences – the initiative was intended to keep the roads of Sussex as safe as possible.
“However we fully realise in some cases this was inappropriate and we apologise for any distress caused by out letter.”
By Laura Sharman