A motorist was issued more than 100 parking fines in Bedford town centre last year, as the council warned it will continue to take action against repeat offenders.
Bedford Borough Council said the vehicle received 102 Penalty Charge Notices between January and September 2025, totalling around £7,140 in fines.
Repeat offences in High Street
The fines were issued for illegal parking in Bedford High Street. The council said the case highlights the issue of persistent offenders and its enforcement approach.
Bedford Borough Council is part of the National Persistent Evader Database, which allows councils and enforcement agencies to share information on vehicles that repeatedly avoid paying fines or are linked to issues such as lack of tax, MOT or insurance.
The system helps identify repeat offenders earlier and reduce unpaid penalties.
“Zero-tolerance approach”
Cllr Nicky Gribble (Independent, Renhold and Ravensden), portfolio holder for environment, said the council would continue to take action against illegal parking.
“We have a zero-tolerance approach to people who park illegally,” she said, “Illegal parking causes congestion for other drivers, reduces accessibility for emergency services and pedestrians, and inconveniences residents and businesses.
“I’m sure a lot of people have parked illegally at some point, but doing so 100 times in one year is nothing but selfish.”
She added that unpaid fines would be passed to enforcement agents and that repeat offenders could be reported to the police.
“When a PCN is not paid, we will pass this over to our enforcement agents to recover the monies. Repeat offenders will be reported to the police as there is a likelihood of the vehicle or owner being linked to other criminal activities.
“Once this owner is traced, they will find themselves heavily out of pocket when all they needed to do was follow the same rules as everyone else.”
