BROMSGROVE car parks have been named among the top 10 in the region for most car parking fines issued, with St John Street car park the worst offender in the district.

A Freedom of Information (FOI) request found 1,138 parking charge notices were issued between July and September this year, totalling £25,410 worth of fines.

St John Street car park, which became a short-stay car park in April after the new Waitrose store opened, is the place where the most fines have been issued in Bromsgrove.

The figures, obtained by comparethemarket.com, place Bromsgrove eighth in a list of the top 10 ‘parking fine black spots’ in the West Midlands.

Company director Simon McCulloch said: “Motorists need to be extra vigilant when it comes to something as simple as parking their vehicle correctly if they want to avoid a hefty fine.

“With Christmas on the horizon, £70 would go further in a gift for a loved one than it would in a parking ticket!

“The cost of driving is getting more and more expensive, without having to face any extra, unexpected cost like a parking fine.

“As we embark on the festive period and face unfamiliar roads to visit friends and family, motorists should pay close attention – street signs can often be discreet and easy to miss, but the information should be clearly stated, and parking payment meters never too far away.”

The maximum stay at St John Street car park, which was formerly known as Hanover Street car park, is three hours.

Kevin Hirons, the council’s environmental Services manager, added: “Penalty charge notices help enforce the rules of the road and the parking orders that ensure a fair and safe environment for everyone.

“Of course if everyone followed the rules there’d be no penalty charge notices, but every day we see a range of issues.

“St John Street is a busy car park with the exciting new store nearby, so it is liable to appear high in overall statistics.”

The FOI was issued to every council in the UK requesting the number of fines issued, the revenue generated, and the most popular street or carpark where fines are issued.

Of the top fining cities in the West Midlands, Birmingham issued a total of 32,991 fines in the three month period and accumulated a revenue of £1,095,726.