Four London councils have admitted to paying their staff’s parking fines with taxpayers’ money, despite boasting of cracking down on illegal parking. Authorities in Hackney, Lewisham, Wandsworth and Croydon spent thousands on penalty charge notices (PCNs) and other road-traffic fines, according to The Telegraph. The same councils also supported higher fines for members of the public who broke the rules.
Hackney council spent £10,250 on staff fines
In the past financial year, Hackney council spent £10,250 on 96 parking and traffic penalties incurred by workers, while describing its parking and enforcement plan as “undoubtedly our strongest yet”. The east London council, which the Green Party took from Labour in May, told the Telegraph that this was a “small fraction” of the charges handed out to public motorists. More than half (£6,060) of the expenditure went to Transport for London (TfL), and a third (£3,215) was used to pay fines and charges issued by Waltham Forest enforcement teams.
Hackney councillor Jacob Cable, cabinet member for climate, clean air, energy and transport, said: “The Council’s drivers are personally responsible for paying [PCNs] ... incurred during their work. The £10,000 figure represents a small fraction of the total PCNs during that period, with 96% of fines paid by drivers personally.”
Lewisham council paid £15,350 for 40 PCNs
Lewisham council spent £15,350 settling 40 PCNs given to its staff and contractors between May 2024 and December 2025, the latest period for which data have been published. The council recently said they were “stepping up our crackdown” on abandoned vehicles. The council paid £2,926.50 across 13 transactions in October, and £6,955 in November, including payments of £5,000 and £1,360 described as “ULEZ fines”.
Wandsworth and Croydon also covered fines
Staff and contractors from Wandsworth council incurred £10,040 in PCNs and other penalties from January 2023 to March 2026. These were all settled by the council using procurement cards. In 2025, Wandsworth council said that higher London PCN charges would deter “dangerous and inconsiderate parking and driving”. A council officer told the Telegraph that the PCNs were paid promptly to avoid late payment charges and to recover the money if a driver was at fault.
Taxpayers’ money was used to pay £3,244 in parking fines and other vehicle penalties in Croydon between January 2023 and March 2025. The borough’s Conservative mayor Jason Perry launched a crackdown last year on illegally abandoned cars. He said: “Croydon will no longer be seen as a soft touch or a place where people can commit antisocial acts without consequence.”
A Croydon council spokesman said: “Our drivers are required to adhere to the regulations of the road. There may be occasions where this is unavoidable due to emergency works or other mitigating circumstances. Where a PCN has been received and paid by the council, this is with consideration to the reasons and in discussion with the driver. We take our budget responsibilities seriously, ensuring spend is kept to a minimum and only where necessary.”
