Thousands of parking tickets issued by spy cars could be scrapped after landmark legal ruling

Aug 5 2009 Birkenhead News

THOUSANDS of parking fines could be scrapped after a New Brighton business women won a landmark legal ruling.

Rachel Johnson, 34, who owns a Bargain Booze off licence on Victoria Road, received three £70 parking fines through the post in one week as a result of pictures taken by a “spy camera”.

Wirral Council has been using these cameras in smart cars to target illegal parking.

They photograph drivers who park illegally and then send them a fine through the post.

But after Rachel took her case to a Traffic Penalty Tribunal it was ruled that unless councils put up signs warning motorists the recently introduced smart cars are in operation, the tickets are invalid.

The mother of three said: “We were just unloading outside the shop like we have done for seven years.

“I need to be able to park outside my shop to run my business.