Embassies dodge £50m of charges in London

Caroline Pidgeon, leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group, said the figure had risen from £48.7m to £49.4m since the start of the year.

“The amount in unpaid congestion charges and penalty charge notices owed by embassies is now so large that it could pay for more than 260 new buses on London’s streets, or fund the significant expansion of the cycle hire scheme, or alternatively reduce fare rises,” she said.

“It is disgraceful that £50m is now being denied to Londoners by embassies that dodge paying the congestion charge. The small minority of embassies that think it is acceptable to evade paying the charge are insulting each and every Londoner.

“The congestion charge is exactly what its name suggests – it is a charge, not a tax.

“Embassies that claim that it is a tax are just clutching at poor excuses to justify their insulting behaviour.”