Islington Council issued more parking fines than any other local authority in the country last year, according to data.

Figures from last year obtained by Churchill Motor Insurance say that the borough handed out an average of 1,012 penalty charge notices (PCN) every day. Fines can be up to £130 in London.

According to Churchill, PCNs were issued nationwide at a daily rate of 19,631. That is a 12 per cent rise from the previous year.

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The analysis is based on data provided by the 230 UK councils that responded to Freedom of Information requests.

PCNs are issued when motorists break parking regulations, such as by parking on double yellow lines or on a single yellow line at a prohibited time.

Fines are often halved if a driver pays within 14 days.

Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said: “Whichever way they turn and wherever they decide to stop, on-street and off-street, drivers are faced with the threat of parking sanctions.

“Between the 20,000 tickets issued by councils daily and the 30,000 dished out by private parking companies, motorists are seemingly facing a positive flurry of fines and charges – around one every two seconds.

“Parking rules are there for a reason and should be respected but at a time when household budgets are under such pressure these numbers beg the obvious question of whether millions of drivers are really risking a big bill for poor parking, or whether over-enthusiastic parking enforcement is putting other objectives, like revitalising our post-pandemic high streets, at risk.”

A spokesperson for the Local Government Association, who represent councils in England and Wales, said: “Income raised through on-street parking charges and parking fines is spent on running parking services.

“Any surplus is spent on essential transport projects, including fixing the £11billion road repairs backlog, reducing congestion, tackling poor air quality and supporting local bus services.”

An Islington Council spokesperson said: “Islington Council is committed to creating a cleaner, greener, healthier borough, where it is easier for everyone to travel.  

“Islington is one of the most densely populated boroughs in the country, which means that parking spaces are at a premium and space for parking needs to be properly managed.

“The council simply enforces existing parking laws, issuing fines when the law is not followed.”