A PARKSTONE woman has claimed CCTV camera cars are acting illegally after she had three tickets amounting to £210 quashed on appeal.

Jo Green was issued with three separate penalty charges within six days from Poole Council for parking outside Baden Powell School and she appealed all three successfully.

The Traffic Penalty Tribunal ruled that the penalty charge notices were invalid because there were no information signs to warn motorists and a lack of evidence showing the cars are working to approved guidelines.

Jo said: “I’m taking on Poole council to prove they are acting illegally with these mobile camera cars for a long list of legal and moral reasons.

“I just couldn’t believe it when I received all the tickets within such a short space of time, because I had absolutely no idea that the mobile cars were operating in that area. “I am also concerned there is a breach of data protection because the council can ask the DVLA for personal contact details if they issue a ticket.”

The independent adjudicator ruled in favour of Jo and said: “In each case these contraventions did not occur. These penalty charge notices were not validly issued.

“The council says in its representations that there is no requirement (to provide signs to notify motorists about camera enforcement). The council is incorrect in this assertion.”

Poole council appealed the decision of the Traffic Penalty Tribunal, but was unsuccessful.

Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles has said he wants to curb ‘overzealous’ local authorities which use the camera cars to maximise their income from parking fines.

Jason Benjamin, parking services manager at Poole Council said: “The council’s use of the camera car fully conforms to the government’s guidance and legislation relating to CCTV enforcement.

“The camera car only records those vehicles which are parked incorrectly at school zigzags, bus stops, taxi ranks and no loading/waiting areas as these are deemed difficult to enforce by CEOs.

“It is not our policy to comment on individual cases, but we have accepted the adjudicator’s decision and will give careful consideration to their findings.”