Dudley Council rakes in more than £80,000 after nearly 4,000 parking fines were handed out in three months

More than £82,000 was made from penalty notices between July and September as drivers were caught flouting the rules.

Castle Street in Dudley was revealed as the most likely place for motorists to be slapped with a ticket – with more handed out there than anywhere else during the period.

From the start of July until the end of September, a total of 3,796 fines were issued, bringing in a total of £82,225. The figures were released by Dudley Council under the Freedom of Information Act.

And local authority bosses warned that those who continued to break the rules would be made to pay for it – with traffic wardens out in force in Castle Street.

The pedestrianised section, which joins Market Place, has double-yellow lines running but there are some bays allowing shoppers to park for an hour – likely to be where many have fallen foul of officers.

The street remains the borough’s parking fine hotspot after it was revealed earlier this year that almost 1,500 charges were issued there in 2016/17 – five a day on average.

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Senior councillor Paul Brothwood insisted that drivers had no excuse for trying to dodge parking restrictions.

The Dudley UKIP group leader said: “With the introduction of free parking across the borough I am hoping there is less chance of people getting tickets.

“We want people in our town centres, there is plenty of free parking available.

“As long as people are parking legally, they shouldn’t be concerned.”

He added: “Compared to other councils our revenue from parking fines is relatively small. Illegal parking creates an inconvenience for businesses.

“There are no excuses. There are plenty of parking spaces.”

During the last financial year, the amount brought in from parking fines overall rose by £65,000 from 2015/16 when the council made £473,349.

Stourbridge High Street, Dudley High Street and Wolverhampton Street, Dudley, were next on the list in terms of roads where drivers were most likely to pick up a parking fine.

Drivers who flout restrictions are hit with fines of up to £70. However, the amount is cut by half if paid within 14 days.

The council was unavailable for comment.