Car parking ticket firm suspended over £100 fine in Newport

Signs were issued to BBC Wales' X-Ray investigators

A private parking ticket company allowed a fine to be issued without proper checks being carried out, an undercover BBC investigation has found.

All Parking Services UK Ltd sent signs to journalists without identity checks, leading to a car owner being sent a £100 fine for parking in Newport.

The firm has been suspended by the DVLA and the British Parking Association (BPA) is investigating.

All Parking Services said it was co-operating with investigations.

The company can no longer issue tickets after it was suspended by the DVLA.

BBC Wales' X-Ray found companies were offering free "self-ticketing" services, allowing landlords to police their own land by taking photographs of cars parked there.

Firms would then access DVLA data and issue tickets to the offending drivers, offering cash incentives for each ticket issued.

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The investigation found Chester-based Park Watch did not make any requests for evidence of land ownership and a false address was provided.

It also asked for a map of the area, but accepted a Google Maps screen-grab with a hand-drawn line around it, and also made an appointment to install signs which were said to have cost £200.

Manchester-based All Parking Services sent signs in the post without checking identity or the right to issue tickets.

The driver of this car was issued with a fine after a sign was put up behind it in Newport

One of the signs was put up behind a parked car in Newport, with investigators using an app to enter details of the car's supposed location and the time of the so-called offence.

The driver was then issued a £100 parking ticket in the post.

Both companies were approved operators of the BPA and required to abide by a code of practice.

Jack Cousens, head of road policy for the AA, said: "Somebody should've stepped in and said 'we haven't got the right documentation, we just can't let you go ahead'. That is just simply unacceptable.

"Those who are overseeing the code of conduct have got to tighter regulate those companies that they have under their banner and make sure that they're doing those checks and balances even before they're setting up new sites."

Park Watch, a trading name of Defence Systems Ltd, said it would have made all the necessary checks on its identity before it was allowed to issue any tickets.

The BPA is investigating and will consider sanctions which could include expelling companies.

The DVLA said it had already suspended All Parking Services so it can no longer issue parking tickets, but refused to comment on the conduct of Park Watch.

• X-Ray, BBC One Wales, 19:30 BST, Monday 14 October