Drivers warned over fake QR codes on parking meters

The codes were spotted on several parking meters in Reading

Travellers have been warned to only pay for parking through their regular methods after fake QR codes were placed on a town's pay-and-display machines.

Reading Borough Council said they were first spotted by the authority's enforcement officers during routine patrols on Monday.

The authority said the fake codes had been placed on several on-street parking meters around Reading town centre.

In a post on Facebook, the council urged drivers not to use the "scam" codes to pay for their parking.

The post said the only ways for people to pay for on-street parking in the town were through cash, or by using the RingGo app.

It said that QR codes were not in use at any pay-and-display machines around the town.

All of the codes located on machines by officers were removed, the council added.

The warnings follow similar scams that have been recently spotted in Portsmouth, Bournemouth and Northampton.