Drivers win up to 90% of parking ticket cases

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Across the capital, 38,579 out of 56,350 cases of disputed parking fines were won by motorists last year, a rate of 68.4 per cent.

But the rate in three local authority areas was 85 per cent or more. In Westminster it was 88 per cent.

In many cases, officials who rejected drivers' initial complaints offered no evidence when the dispute reached the Parking and Traffic Appeals Service adjudicator.

Campaigners claim this means drivers endure months of waiting and spend time gathering evidence when they do not need to.

The figures from London Councils, which represents local authorities, cover the year to the end of March.

They show Southwark lost 84 per cent of its 2,256 cases in front of the adjudicator and failed to offer evidence in six out of 10. Hackney lost 86 per cent of disputes and did not contest 44 per cent.

Campaigner Barrie Segal, of Appealnow.com, said: "Often councils just can't be bothered to check the facts when a motorist initially writes to complain.

"Instead, they try it on and force the motorist to go through the trauma of an official appeal, possibly in the hope they will cave in. When that doesn't work, the council often doesn't turn up [for the adjudication].

"It means a very stressful period for the driver."

Edmund King of the RAC Foundation added: " Thousands of motorists tell us they would like to appeal but don't as they lose their 50 per cent discount for paying within 14 days if they then lose. The risk of having to pay a higher fine because you appeal should end."

Nick Lester, transport director of London Councils, said authorities did their best to examine initial appeals but drivers often failed to offer sufficient evidence until the case reached the adjudicator.

He said a high court ruling on the wording of penalty charge notices had led to an unusually large number of "non-contested" cases.

Mr Lester said extending the discount for prompt payment until the point of final appeal would be unfair on drivers who did pay within 14 days.

"The system is generally fair as it stands," he said.

The council with the highest success rate at appeal was Sutton with 66 per cent.