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| Court challenge for parking fines | Court challenge for parking fines |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Millions of parking tickets could be invalidated if campaigners win the right to challenge parking laws. | Millions of parking tickets could be invalidated if campaigners win the right to challenge parking laws. |
| Neil Herron, from Sunderland, wants the system that allows local councils to issue parking fines to be reviewed. | Neil Herron, from Sunderland, wants the system that allows local councils to issue parking fines to be reviewed. |
| He said councils often invalidate their own controlled parking zones by including red lines inside them. | He said councils often invalidate their own controlled parking zones by including red lines inside them. |
| Mr Herron will also argue at London's High Court that councils do not always erect signs required to tell drivers when they can park on yellow lines. | Mr Herron will also argue at London's High Court that councils do not always erect signs required to tell drivers when they can park on yellow lines. |
| 'Two-way street' | 'Two-way street' |
| Mr Herron, from campaign group Parking Appeals, wants to use the strict letter of law to challenge parking enforcement. | Mr Herron, from campaign group Parking Appeals, wants to use the strict letter of law to challenge parking enforcement. |
| "If you're a minute late back from a meeting you get a £120 fine. If you're an inch over a white bay, you get a £120 fine," he said. | "If you're a minute late back from a meeting you get a £120 fine. If you're an inch over a white bay, you get a £120 fine," he said. |
| "The law's a two-way street and if we have to comply with the law, the most important thing is that the councils comply with the law." | "The law's a two-way street and if we have to comply with the law, the most important thing is that the councils comply with the law." |
| He said controlled parking zones can only legally contain single yellow, double yellow or parking spaces.Mr Herron is also director of the Metric Martyrs campaign | |
| Councils that include red lines within them invalidate the zone, Mr Herron said. | Councils that include red lines within them invalidate the zone, Mr Herron said. |
| He also said outside controlled parking zones, signs are required to tell drivers when they can park on yellow lines, yet many streets have no signs. | He also said outside controlled parking zones, signs are required to tell drivers when they can park on yellow lines, yet many streets have no signs. |
| Mr Herron's legal team also claims that the tribunals that deal with complaints about parking tickets for England and Wales are not independent because the councils issuing tickets have a say in the appointment of the adjudicators. | Mr Herron's legal team also claims that the tribunals that deal with complaints about parking tickets for England and Wales are not independent because the councils issuing tickets have a say in the appointment of the adjudicators. |
| The Traffic Penalty Tribunal, which deals with complaints in England and Wales, and the Parking and Traffic Appeals Service, which deals with London complaints, declined to comment on the allegations. | The Traffic Penalty Tribunal, which deals with complaints in England and Wales, and the Parking and Traffic Appeals Service, which deals with London complaints, declined to comment on the allegations. |
| The case will be contested by Sunderland Council on behalf of all local authorities at High Court on Thursday. | The case will be contested by Sunderland Council on behalf of all local authorities at High Court on Thursday. |
| Mr Herron is also director of Metric Martyrs, a group which campaigned against European Union plans to enforce traders to display only metric measurements. |