Whitehall to net £75,000 in fines

The government has made a huge profit from the Christmas purge on parking in Newark town centre.

About 2,500 tickets were issued in eight weeks, raising £75,000 in penalties, which was passed to Whitehall.

The community safety partnership provided just £3,000 of Home Office money to pay for police overtime for the clampdown.

Police issued 1,250 parking tickets in December in and around Newark town centre.

This brings the total number issued to more than 2,500.

In one day near Christmas, 112 were issued.

The Newark and Sherwood police chief, Chief Inspector Mark Holland, said: “112 in a day is a horrendous number.

“It has started to tail off now. Maybe that means people are getting the message or maybe it is simply because there are fewer people in town.

“We get no revenue for this. No money comes our way from the tickets.”

The enforcement drive was well received by the Palace Theatre as buses had no problems negotiating the Barnbygate corner on to Appletongate to take children to panto performances.

In the past, coaches found it impossible to negotiate the corner due to drivers parking along the tight right-hand turn.

Police wardens were withdrawn two years ago, and there have been delays in the council operated system starting.

They are expected to take over on May 12, and Chief Inspector Holland said the police purge would continue until then.