Penalty Notice Pic: Ben Geach

Croydon has the fifth highest number of parking tickets issued in London, reveals new research.

Data collected through a Freedom of Information request by car insurance firm Churchill showed that Croydon Council issued 108,409 penalty charge notices last year.

Putting the south London borough only lower than Westminster, Newham, Barnet and Haringey in the league table.

In 2013, around eight million parking tickets were issued throughout the UK, resulting in one parking ticket every four seconds.

The penalty charge notices raised just over £255 million in fines, with 445,818 of the fines successfully appealed resulting in no charge.

The number of parking penalties issued is said to be even higher, as the data was based on a survey which less than half of local authorities replied to.

Steve Barrett, Head of Churchill Car Insurance, said: “Parking regulations are a hugely important part of keeping roads safe and clear, but it’s also essential that fines are fair and proportionate. In many areas, parking restrictions can be confusing and appear inconsistent, so we’d urge motorists to be vigilant when parking their vehicles to avoid hefty fines.”