Thousands of parking tickets ripped up

The announcement came as Trading Standards launched an investigation into Effective Car Parking Management (ECPM), which operated on the Lomeshaye Industrial Estate, Nelson.

The probe is looking at whether letters demanding payment constituted harassment, or broke the Enterprise Act governing how businesses operate.

This could lead to fines of up to £5,000 and imprisonment, according to Lancashire's chief Trading Standards officer. But as details of the investigation emerged, Pendle MP Gordon Prentice claimed that ECPM boss Matthew Brough had set up a new business under the name Nupark Car Park.

Mr Prentice, who has led the campaign against the firm, said the law needed to be tightened so that car parking enforcement companies could only be run if they were members of an accredited trade organisation.

Landlords Bizspace, which employed ECPM, has confirmed that the thousands of outstanding parking tickets had been cancelled. However, fixed penalty notices which were paid will not be refunded.

Last month, Mr Prentice tabled an early day motion in the House of Commons branding Mr Brough a "cheat and fraudster" who carried out "wholly unacceptable" business practices.

This prompted Bizspace to sack ECPM.

On the latest developments Mr Prentice said: "The cancellation of tickets is very good news and will, I hope, draw a line under this episode.

"Customers and businesses at Lomeshaye have suffered quite enough.

"I am told, though, that yet another company, Nupark Car Parks Ltd, has been registered by Matthew Brough.

"I have informed the DVLA of this latest development.

"I firmly believe every car park enforcement company should be a member of the accredited trade association: ECPM was not.

"This man should not be running car parking companies."

The controversial actions of Bizspace were revealed last August. The firm used CCTV to get the vehicle registrations of cars parked contrary to the industrial estate's rules.

Details of the registered keeper were then obtained through the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency for a £2.50 fee and a £90 penalty sent to their homes.

The first many people knew was when the fixed penalty arrived in the post.

One motorist had racked up six tickets, which increased to £150 if not paid within 28 days. Police said they had received 16 complaints but said it was a civil matter.

At the time, Mr Brough, boss of ECPM, which initially operated under the name S&B Parking, said they had stopped putting tickets on car windscreens after their three parking wardens experienced five incidents of "serious violence".

Trading Standards launched the investigation after being handed information by the Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency.

Jim Potts, chief trading standards officer for Lancashire, said they had received reports that some people had received 14 letters demanding payment in a single day.

He said their probe was therefore looking at whether this constituted criminal harassment, in which case the police would be informed, or civil harassment causing alarm or distress.

Mr Potts said they would be asking MPs to table a motion to bring the law over parking enforcement in line with more stricter controls on clamping.

He said: "If the company had been clamping they would probably have lost their licence by now.

"We are investigating this both criminally and civilly.

"There is the potential for a fine and imprisonment."

Gareth Evans, managing director of Bizspace, said thousands of tickets had been cancelled.

He said that so many fixed penalty notices were being ripped up as "very few" motorists had paid the tickets.

Mr Evans said: "The scheme was designed to protect our company because the car parking spaces were being abused.

"We tried to fix the problem and this did not work so we are looking at alternative methods.

"We will not be using a car parking management company.

"The tickets which have been paid will not be refunded."

Mr Brough could not be contacted for comment.