DRIVERS in a posh borough have been warned that it is actually cheaper to get a parking ticket than to pay for all-day parking
The saying goes that crime doesn't pay but flaunting parking rules on some roads could actually save you money.
Motorists in Islington, North London, have complained that charges for a day-long permit have now made it more expensive to actually comply with the law.
Those driving into the area already have to pay £12.50 a day under the ULEZ charge but the local council have still seen fit to jack up the prices for stopping there too.
Across the borough, hourly rates can reach up to £6.30 while, in a bid to crack down on carbon emissions, diesel drivers are forced to pay another £6.50 an hour on top of that.
Tradespeople working in the area say that bosses have told them to accept a fine if they stay in Islington for more than a couple of hours.
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This is because the £65 penalty charge amounts to about the same as five hours parked up.
Plumber Tony Lockhart told MailOnline that the charges were "killing" businesses.
He said: "It just can't go on.
"This is a war on motorists…We have to turn jobs down all the time if we can't park there.
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"There's just nothing we can do."
Likewise, broadband worker Myrvin Kirwin added: "The stress around extortionate parking fees and PCNs also makes it difficult to do your job properly
"I spend my whole time worrying about whether I'm getting slapped with a ticket or running up a huge cost. I can't focus."
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The complaints follow those of residents of nearby Hackney, where drivers were hit with a six-fold increase in parking costs.
And it seems to be part of a wider trend across the nation.
Official figures revealed last month that councils had earned nearly £1 billion in parking charges in just one year, sparking fury.
Critics accused local authorities of turning the issue into a "huge cash cow".
With up to 50,000 drivers slapped with fines every day, The Sun's own Consumer Editor Sarah Davidson explained how you can appeal unfair tickets.
Islington Council has been contacted for comment.
It comes after a mechanic revealed the exact number of minutes you should let your car warm up for to save thousands.
Meanwhile, road users near a Lincolnshire airport were left baffled by new signs pointing in the wrong direction.
Why taking the fine is cheaper
If you park in Islington, you will have to pay £2.50 (in low-demand areas) and £6.30 (in high-demand areas) per hour for a bay.
However, if you drive a diesel vehicle, you will also have to pay an hourly £6.50 levy in addition to the parking cost.
This means an hourly parking cost of £8.50 in LDAs ranging to £12.80 in HDAs.
Fines for non-payment cost between £80 and £130 depending on the area but are reduced by 50% if paid within 14 days.
This means that for both LDAs and HDAs, one parking ticket is equivalent to five hours of permitted parking.
If you plan to stay in the area for more than five hours, the parking ticket is actually cheaper to the tune of the hourly rate multiplied by the number of extra hours you stay.
For example, if a diesel parked in an HDA for a standard 9-5 shift, they would save £38.40 by accepting a ticket and paying it within two weeks
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