Council to repay £1m parking fines

16/09/11

Katrina McLachlan

More than £1 million is due to be repaid to motorists who were wrongly given parking tickets from "spy cars" used by a council, it has been announced.

Thousands of people are to have their money returned by Richmond Council after one driver noticed the problem and issued a complaint.

From April 2009 to April 2011, CCTV patrol vehicles that were incorrectly certified were used by the council to hand out around 18,500 penalty charge notices (PCNs).

The independent Parking Tribunal Service (Patas) ruled that the council was wrong to give out the tickets, which were issued to drivers who had allegedly conducted parking violations.

Lord True, the council leader, said: "The council took money from people when we were not entitled to. That was wrong, and the wrong should be put right."

Speaking to the full council, Lord True added: "We will write to the registered owner of every vehicle against which a ticket was issued by our camera cars inviting them to apply for a refund."