Video: Motorists paying out millions on mean streets of Yorkshire

Drivers parking illegally in Clarendon Road in Leeds have shelled out a total of 557,390 in charges since 2007 – at an average of around 190,000 each year.

It is more money than Rotherham Council has collected in penalties from across the entire town in the past two years combined.

The 1,300-metre street runs alongside Leeds University – attracting a large number of student drivers – and down to Leeds General Infirmary in the city centre.

Last January the Yorkshire Post revealed how the road was the region's ticket hot-spot, but these new figures show just how much cash is involved.

For the 2009-10 financial year the income from 2,708 parking tickets on Clarendon Road was 182,500. The previous year it was 200,830 from 2,979 tickets and in 2007-08 it was 174,060 from 2,903.

A spot check of the last 1,000 tickets issued on the road showed that more than 80 per cent were for offences such as parking in a resident's space without a permit or on yellow lines, which costs drivers 35 if paid within 14 days. Only 17 per cent were given for lesser transgressions, such as overstaying in a restricted zone, which costs 25 when paid early.

It is clear that most drivers are not stumping up the cash quickly, as the average ticket price for the past three years is 64.92. That is nearer the initial 70 charge handed out for higher-end offences and more than double the national industry standard of around 30. Leeds's city-wide average cost for each of the 122,266 tickets administered last year was 29.70.

Piccadilly in Bradford is the road which received more tickets than any other in Yorkshire last year. 2,745 were handed out to cars parked illegally along the 350-yard city-centre street. But, in contrast to Clarendon Road, only 75,905 was brought into Bradford Council as a result – at an average of 27.65 per ticket. It is the first time Piccadilly has appeared in such a list as Bradford only took over traffic warden duties from West Yorkshire Police in March 2009.

Overall, for the last financial year, revenue from parking fines fell at eight of the 12 authorities which have dealt with street parking offences since 2008.

Doncaster Council, however, recorded a huge increase in money generated from parking fines. It took 540,010 in 2009-10 compared with 344,133 in 2008-09 – a rise of 57 per cent. A spokesman for Doncaster Council said it was "delighted" by the jump which came as a result of recruiting extra traffic wardens.

A spokesman for Leeds City Council said: "Clarendon Road stretches through a busy residential area, bordering the universities and hospital and is within walking distance of the city centre. As a result, it is not surprising that a lot of motorists attempt to get away with parking illegally, however, they are inevitably seen and tickets issued."

Leeds Council topped the table for income from parking tickets in 2009-10, collecting 3,631,146, a two per cent increase on the previous year, although the number of total tickets was down from 127,137. Bradford Council came next, taking in 1,882,027 from 66,252 tickets last year, with Sheffield Council third, collecting 1,756,000 from 56,318 tickets.

In total, councils in the region brought 12,559,985 into their coffers from parking fines – a rise of 17 per cent from last year.

This mainly results from the inclusion of Bradford, without which the total would be nearer the 10.7m figure recorded in 2008-09.

The findings come days after the Government announced it was ending the "war on motorists" by abolishing regulations from 2001 requiring councils to limit the number of parking spaces allowed in new residential developments.

North Yorkshire Police deals with street parking offences in the county with district councils responsible for car parks. For the time analysed, Humberside Police was in charge of parking on roads in East Riding, North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire.

Income from parking tickets 2009-10

Leeds 3,631,146 (up 2% from 2008-09)

Bradford 1,882,027 (no comparable data)

Sheffield 1,756,000 (down 1%)

Kirklees 724,400 (down 2%)

Wakefield 589,231 (up 7%)

Hull 562,010 (down 7%)

Doncaster 540,010 (up 57%)

York 521,000 (no significant change)

Harrogate 475,645 (down 11%)

Scarborough 439,304 (down 23%)

Calderdale 413,339 (down 13%)

Barnsley 257,571 (down 5%)

Rotherham 242,796 (down 13%)

Income to local authorities which do not deal with street parking totalled approximately 630,000