No refund for parking fine drivers

Motorists in Shrewsbury who paid parking fines over a five-month period will not be entitled to refunds even though they were not technically legal, officials said today.

It comes after a legal blunder in August when the county's highways authority failed to put in place a notice relating to increased parking charges in April.

Motorists in Shrewsbury who paid parking fines over a five-month period will not be entitled to refunds even though they were not technically legal, officials said today.

It comes after a legal blunder in August when the county's highways authority failed to put in place a notice relating to increased parking charges in April.

Charges rose from 60p and 70p per half-hour but officers only realised later that the necessary Notice of Variation order was not put in place before the price rises took effect.

It could mean people paid fines without knowing the penalties were not legal.

But Hugh Dannatt, group manager for traffic and highway engineering at Shropshire County Council, said the authority was not obliged to repay fines paid before the mistake was discovered.

Shrewsbury businessman Richard Flukes said he had been given a ticket by ParkRight after parking in Belmont just prior to the discovery of the mistake by the highways authority.

The fine went through the courts until he rang up to challenge the ticket and was successful in having it rescinded. Mr Flukes said he was concerned other people had paid out for fines they should not have had to.

Mr Dannatt said the authority had taken legal advice that enforcement and charges should be suspended and unpaid fines from the date the error was identified should not be pursued. He added: "The legal advice did not indicate that previously paid fines had to be repaid."