Parking attendant wrote a registration down wrong and I was issued with a ticket - why does this happen?

I recently received a PCN from Gravesham council for failure to display a ticket on an Audi. I live in Shropshire and my car (a Renault) was on the drive at home at the time, so I sent them a photo of the car with suitable explanation but also asked for a photo of the offending vehicle so that I could take it to the police. They responded stating that “on this occasion” they would rescind the PCN, but did not send the photo. I repeated my request but had no further response. I then phoned them and eventually was told by a sheepish receptionist (they won't let you speak to the parking department directly) that the parking attendant had written down the registration number incorrectly. No apology. I hope you print this and that someone in authority at Gravesham reads it, but I don't suppose it would make any difference if they did.

Asked on 19 January 2013 by RW, Ludlow

Answered by Honest John
A couple of months ago I ran an item about a bloke who received a NIP for driving his truck in a bus lane. Except he didn't have a truck; he had a moped. They had mistaken a Y in the truck's reg for a T and had not checked any further. That's what's wrong with Automatic Number Plate Recognition and why it should not be relied upon. Years ago a number plate manufacturer developed a system of chipping numberplates so they could be read by roadside readers. That system was foolproof. ANPR isn’t and never will be.
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