AN ANGRY driver has called on motorists across Hounslow to join his battle against council traffic enforcers after a watchdog upheld his appeal against four parking fines.
Dennis Madgwick, of Maudsley House in Green Dragon Lane, Brentford, has been fighting on several fronts after he was stung by a series of penalties in High Street last summer.
The 63-year-old refused to pay the £100 notices - for parking in a restricted area - claiming Hounslow Council incorrectly shortened the payment period on the fines.
The Parking and Traffic Appeals service agreed and at a hearing on March 15 ordered Hounslow Council to cancel the charges. He told the Informer: "I'm well chuffed - that's saved me £400. But I pursued it because I was annoyed by their attitude that I was nonchalantly parking here and there when I wasn't.
"If nobody complains you never get anywhere. Everyone should start challenging these things."
The fines followed the roll-out of 10 new parking enforcement cameras across the borough in July 2007, which caused fury among drivers who claim the council is 'cashing in' on enforcement.
Mr Madgwick is one of several drivers also challenging the legality of the scheme with the Information Commissioner Richard Thomas.
He argues the council breached data protection law by failing to advertise the newly-installed devices adequately.
He said: "As soon as I appealed, the council quickly put camera signs up. But before that, I saw no warnings about these cameras.
"It will be very interesting to see whether the I n f o r m a t i o n Commissioner upholds my case." Motorists were hit with thousands of pounds in fines in the first few weeks of the new initiative after stopping for a few seconds in restricted areas.
Staff from Crystal & Co estate agents in London Road, Isleworth, have been hit with as many as 50 penalty notices.
Following a flood of complaints over the lack of awareness of the devices, the council admitted in September the scheme 'could have been better advertised'.
But it insisted adverts had appeared in its monthly newsletter, Hounslow Matters.
A Hounslow Council spokesman said it had not yet received the result of the tribunal so was unable to comment.
Regarding the scheme in general, he added: "Enforcement by CCTV helps to reduce congestion, improve public transport and acts as a reliable and evidence-based function of the appeals process.""
The Information Commissioner's decision is expected next month.
