Motorists who overstay their welcome in Selby's pay and display car parks will shortly have to pay a fine of £30 - double the existing penalty.

Members of the district council's community services committee agreed that the present £15 charge to drivers who stay longer than their allotted time was unrealistic, and below what other local authorities were levying.

Council officer John Cragg told the committee that the excess charge had remained unaltered since 1991.

He said the total of excess charge fines recovered in 1997/98 was £5,463, but offset against this was the cost of policing the system with car park wardens and council administrative costs.

The £15 fine no longer reflected the level of costs the council incurred after issuing a notice to pay excess charge.

He said York charged £8 if the offending driver paid on the day, but this increased to £30 up to a fortnight later, soaring to £50 thereafter.

Harrogate's excess parking charge was £30, increasing to £40 after seven days; while Leeds imposed a fine of £20, which was doubled after 14 days.

Doncaster charged £20, increasing to £50 after 21 days; the East Riding £15, rising to £60 after a week; and Ryedale £16, more than doubling to £40 after a fortnight.

But the council's assistant chief executive, Mike White, defended the increase, saying £15 did not even cover the costs of officer time.

Mr White said: ""Considering the fine has remained unchanged since 1991, we feel the new excess charge is fully justified."

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