Last year, members of the British Parking Association issued 1,800,000 parking charge notices of which 1,242,000 were paid. From 1st October they have had new powers to directly pursue keepers of cars for parking charges and are planning on increasing charges issued by 500,000. So watch out, everyone. That means the equivalent of one in 14 vehicle keepers will receive a parking charge notice over the next year. Keepers now have three stages of appeal; to the issuer of the charge notice, to an independent adjudication service run by London Councils and, lastly, in the Civil Courts.

And don't say you weren't warned before the relevant change in the law. I have been shouting about this for 18 months, well before the relevant Act of Parliament was passed. Very few readers paid any attention.