Council error over parking ticket

A council has been forced to reword and reprint its parking tickets after a court ruled its previous wording was incorrect.

Motorist Paul Saxton took his case against a parking ticket issued by Taunton Deane Council to arbitration.

He won the case because the tribunal ruled the ticket was invalid because the wording 'did not comply with current legislation'.

The ruling means many people recently ticketed may now be exempt from fines.

Reworded its tickets

Mr Saxton had pulled into a taxi rank in Taunton to take a phone call when a warden dropped a ticket through his open window.

John Lewis of Taunton Deane Council said : "The adjudicator has ruled that the ticket was defective in Mr Saxon's case and the penalty tribunal has said that each case is looked at on its merits so we will be looking at each case individually."

The council has now reworded its tickets but it may have to write off thousands of pounds in unpaid fines.

Solicitor Tim Hayden told BBC News: "I think those who have currently got parking tickets could appeal and could lead that on the wording that this judgement has provided."

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