MOTORISTS often see themselves as cash cows; an easy target for speed guns, not to mention the Lendal Bridge trial.

So they will doubtless have something to say about our revelation that over the last three years £1.4 million has been racked up in fines by City of York Council from drivers who stop in designated zones without a valid parking ticket or permit.

This will not seem an insignificant amount of money to some and there will be those who undoubtedly think this is far too large a sum. But ask anyone who regularly finds it difficult to park outside their house and you will almost certainly hear a different story.

Inconsiderate, selfish and just plain bad parking is the bane of many residents' lives, so it is right a fine should be levied against those who do so, not to mention drivers who seem to think paying for a ticket doesn't apply to them.

Whether £50 to £70 is a fair sum is open to debate, but we doubt those who are fed up with having to park three streets away would argue against it.

One thing that should be pointed out, though, is the council's insistence the money is ringfenced to support parking services and highways expenditure. We have no reason to doubt this is the case, but the people of York will want assurances that it really is so.