Council does U-turn over motorists fined for parking on New Year's Day

A COUNCIL has decided to reimburse motorists who were fined for leaving their vehicles in its car parks on New Year's Day.

East Riding Council says it is offering "a New Year gesture of goodwill" by paying back or cancelling 60 fines issued to 62 motorists.

Those caught out included drivers who thought council car parks would be free as they had been on previous Saturdays during the festive season. Council leader Coun Stephen Parnaby said: "It is not the way that any motorist wants to start off a New Year and it was not our intention.

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"We recognise that there has been an element of confusion with regards to the way the New Year bank holiday fell.

"We will reimburse those who have already paid and cancel the tickets of the others."

For the past three years East Riding Council has suspended charges at its car parks during the three weekends before Christmas, including Christmas Day and Boxing Day, sacrificing potential revenue of 50,000.

Council signs in Beverley clearly state that parking is free on Sundays but not on any other days.

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Among those to be left fuming was mother-of-one Catherine Rigg who complained that the council was able to send out traffic wardens on New Year's Day morning to ticket the cars – but was not able to empty her bins this week.

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