Leeds, Bradford and Sheffield parking fine hotspots revealed as councils rake in cash

Officials in Leeds issued a total of 23,734 penalty charge notices in the three months from July - nearly double the number in Bradford, the region’s next highest ranked city.

The Leeds tickets would have brought in £393,897, a Freedom of Information request by the website Compare The Market found.

The parking area with the biggest concentration of fines was South Parade, in the business quarter of the city centre.

In Bradford, some 14,362 fines were issued in the same period, bringing in revenue of £270,696. Piccadilly was named as the biggest parking trap.

In Sheffield, 13,630 tickets were issued, with Ecclesall Road the fining hotspot.

In other parts of the country, revenue from parking fines was even greater. Westminster Council brought in nearly £6m from 125,727 tickets, and in Birmingham, the council raised more than £1m from 32,991 fines.

In one case in London, a ticket was issued within 12 minutes of a parking ticket expiring

Compare The Market said drivers could in many cases halve their fines by paying up within one or two weeks.

The firm’s director, Simon McCulloch, said: “The cost of driving is getting more and more expensive without having to face any unexpected cost.

“Motorists should pay close attention – street signs can be easy to miss, but the information should be clearly stated and parking payment meters never too far away.”