Reading Borough Council has apologised as thousands of drivers have been hit with fines that were issued incorrectly.

The council has apologised as a total of 6,136 penalty charge notices (PCNs) have been issued to drivers in error, which has emerged after a procedural investigation.

Officers have discovered that that the Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) on sections of the East Reading Red Route and some parking restrictions in other locations are unenforceable.

Drivers who have paid penalties for parking on them will therefore be reimbursed.

The 6,316 PCNs were incorrectly issued and paid primarily between July 2018 and this year, with some even dating back to 2013 - over a decade ago.

The council is asking drivers who believe they received and paid a penalty to visit the council’s website from Wednesday, October 16 to claim their reimbursement.

For drivers who were incorrectly subjected to a debt recovery process, the council will contact individuals directly informing them that they are eligible for repayments with interest and advising how these repayments will be made.

Jackie Yates, the chief executive of the council, said: “I sincerely apologise to all motorists and residents who have been affected by these errors and urge them to visit the Council’s website so that we can reimburse them.

“We have made the reimbursement process as easy as possible for people who have been wrongly issued with penalty charge notices, whilst ensuring we have appropriate verification checks in place.

Jackie Yates, the chief executive of Reading Borough Council.Jackie Yates, the chief executive of Reading Borough Council. (Image: James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporting Service)

“Parking enforcement action was suspended as soon as the council became aware of the specific TRO issues and further action is being taken to ensure that the circumstances which led to this situation don't happen again.

“On behalf of the council, I sincerely apologise to motorists for the distress and inconvenience caused.”

Drivers who believe they have been incorrectly issued with a PCN can claim a refund from the council website from Wednesday, October 16, once the full council agrees to a repayment scheme at a meeting on Tuesday, October 15.

The repayment webpage will have full details of the information needed as well as maps showing the areas affected and some frequently asked questions.

As long as claim forms are complete, the council expects refunds with interest to be paid within 28 days.

The errors in the TROs were discovered when a council staff member reported to their service manager a defect on the East Reading Red Route.

A wider investigation was then launched to review whether there were further issues with TROs and a small number were found to be incorrect.

There are five TRO areas where motorists were incorrectly issued with PCNs.

Errors were found on a four more, but these did not impact motorists in the same way.

A report seeking approval for statutory consultation to correct all nine orders will be presented at the full council meeting.

TROs are legal orders made under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, which provide the legal backing for the enforcement of road and traffic management schemes such as speed limits, vehicle restrictions and parking controls.