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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Foreign car parking fines cost councils more than £500,000 | Foreign car parking fines cost councils more than £500,000 |
| (5 days later) | |
| More than £500,000 is owed to councils in the south in unpaid parking fines issued to foreign-registered vehicles since 2009. | More than £500,000 is owed to councils in the south in unpaid parking fines issued to foreign-registered vehicles since 2009. |
| Portsmouth City Council has brought in external contractors in a bid to reclaim fines totalling £143,666. | Portsmouth City Council has brought in external contractors in a bid to reclaim fines totalling £143,666. |
| Oxfordshire County Council and Southampton City Council are now looking to do the same. | Oxfordshire County Council and Southampton City Council are now looking to do the same. |
| Fines have previously been written off by some councils because of difficulties tracing overseas drivers. | Fines have previously been written off by some councils because of difficulties tracing overseas drivers. |
| A Freedom of Information (FoI) request by BBC South Today shows £521,026 is owed in 10,423 unpaid fines by foreign vehicle owners in Oxfordshire, Southampton and Portsmouth since 2009. | A Freedom of Information (FoI) request by BBC South Today shows £521,026 is owed in 10,423 unpaid fines by foreign vehicle owners in Oxfordshire, Southampton and Portsmouth since 2009. |
| 46 unpaid tickets | 46 unpaid tickets |
| Michael Robinson, parking operations manager at Portsmouth City Council, said: "We felt it was unfair British people were having to pay and foreign-registered vehicles were getting away with it. | Michael Robinson, parking operations manager at Portsmouth City Council, said: "We felt it was unfair British people were having to pay and foreign-registered vehicles were getting away with it. |
| "It's frustrating for parking wardens when they see the same vehicle over and over again, parked in the same place." | "It's frustrating for parking wardens when they see the same vehicle over and over again, parked in the same place." |
| Euro Parking Collection (EPC), which collect fines on behalf of Portsmouth City Council, said local authorities had seen an opportunity for extra revenue. | Euro Parking Collection (EPC), which collect fines on behalf of Portsmouth City Council, said local authorities had seen an opportunity for extra revenue. |
| EPC obtains keeper details from the country's Vehicle Licensing Authority (VLA) and sends letters to owners in their native language asking for the money. | EPC obtains keeper details from the country's Vehicle Licensing Authority (VLA) and sends letters to owners in their native language asking for the money. |
| Stuart Hendry, from EPC, said: "Not all VLAs in each country will give out keeper details. France for example don't, but the majority will." | Stuart Hendry, from EPC, said: "Not all VLAs in each country will give out keeper details. France for example don't, but the majority will." |
| The company operates on a "no win, no fee" basis, taking a percentage commission on the amount of fines reclaimed. | The company operates on a "no win, no fee" basis, taking a percentage commission on the amount of fines reclaimed. |
| Mr Hendry said it was common to see "persistent evaders". | Mr Hendry said it was common to see "persistent evaders". |
| He added: "One of every three foreign vehicles we deal with has ten or more Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs)." | He added: "One of every three foreign vehicles we deal with has ten or more Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs)." |
| Figures obtained by the BBC showed one foreign vehicle in Southampton had 46 unpaid parking tickets in the past year alone. | Figures obtained by the BBC showed one foreign vehicle in Southampton had 46 unpaid parking tickets in the past year alone. |
| Oxfordshire County Council is looking at how to reclaim £358,290 in unpaid fines from the last four years. | Oxfordshire County Council is looking at how to reclaim £358,290 in unpaid fines from the last four years. |
| Deputy leader Rodney Rose said BBC South Today's investigation had alerted him to the problem. | Deputy leader Rodney Rose said BBC South Today's investigation had alerted him to the problem. |
| He said: "I hadn't realised the scale it is on. My reaction is what am I going to do about it?" | He said: "I hadn't realised the scale it is on. My reaction is what am I going to do about it?" |
| The BBC also learned foreign vehicles have been caught speeding 10,725 times by Thames Valley Police cameras over the past four years, but none have been given penalties. | The BBC also learned foreign vehicles have been caught speeding 10,725 times by Thames Valley Police cameras over the past four years, but none have been given penalties. |
| EPC is currently working on pilot schemes in London to help police forces reclaim these fines in the same way. | EPC is currently working on pilot schemes in London to help police forces reclaim these fines in the same way. |