A BBC London investigation has discovered that hundreds of parking bays in London have been unlawfully operated for decades and now five London councils may have to refund millions of pounds in parking fines.

The discovery applies to the 346 diplomatic parking bays in London.  The investigation has proved that the councils did not have the permission they required from the secretary of state to install signs in these non-standard bays.  This means that every parking fine issued from these bays since the 1970s is unenforceable.

The law states that everyone given a ticket in an unauthorised diplomatic bay within the past six years is able to claim their money back.  The councils in question are Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, Camden and Islington.

Camden and Westminster aaplied for permission to make their diplomatic bays legal in 2009, but Islington and Kensington and Chelsea still do not have authorisation, though they are now applying for it.

Full story - BBC News 01/02/10