B&NES Council Civil Enforcement Officers have been instrumental in securing the conviction of a motorist who had persistently failed to purchase a valid parking ticket for parking in a Bath car park.
While examining a parking ticket displayed in the windscreen of a car, an officer noticed discrepancies that indicated it may be fraudulent.
In the following months, officers saw both this, and another vehicle linked to the driver, on numerous occasions, displaying tickets with similar discrepancies.
Having identified the driver when they returned to their vehicle, the matter was passed to Avon and Somerset Police via Action Fraud in July last year.
The driver was arrested, and during interview admitted a series of offences linked to producing and displaying fraudulent parking tickets amounting to hundreds of pounds.
The driver received a Conditional Caution administered by the police, with conditions to pay £150 to the council, and to attend a Victim Impact Course.
Councillor Mark Shelford, cabinet member for Transport and Environment, said: “The council, on behalf of council tax payers, is committed to ensuring those who seek not to pay for their parking are challenged, either through the issue of Penalty Charge Notices, or for those more serious cases through prosecution, as on this occasion.”
