Liberal Democrats criticise Haringey Council's highway robbery

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 29th May 2008

Haringey Labour councillor Alan Stanton has broken ranks and branded his administration as getting away with "highway robbery" on the BBC, joining Liberal Democrats in criticising Haringey Council's traffic enforcement.

Haringey Council collected hundreds of thousands of pounds from enforcing traffic and parking restrictions in Tottenham, Muswell Hill and Crouch End even though doubts emerged over their legality.

Local Liberal Democrats have now demanded that residents and visitors caught out and ticketed by illegal signage and unclear box junctions must be refunded.

Councillor Martin Newton (Lib Dem, Fort is Green ward), who over the last ten months has raised the issue with Haringey Council and the Department for Transport, has demanded immediate action from Haringey Council's parking boss and has agreed with Cllr Stanton's remarks.

Cllr Martin Newton, Liberal Democrat Traffic and Transport Spokesperson, comments:

"This is just the latest incident in a series of blunders by Haringey Council on parking enforcement. Liberal Democrats have gone directly to the Department for Transport over this issue and now even Labour councillors agree that their own administration has got it wrong.

"If the lines and signs are wrong no offence has been committed so there should be no penalty to pay.

"This situation has got so bad that Labour are criticising themselves. It's time for the council to apologise to residents and visitors caught out and ticketed and for Haringey Council to accept responsibility. Haringey Council has a bag full of swag they have collected that they should use to refund motorists."