Four London councils have used public funds to pay parking and traffic fines incurred by their own employees and contractors, according to a recent analysis of spending records. Hackney, Lewisham, Wandsworth, and Croydon councils collectively spent tens of thousands of pounds on penalty charge notices (PCNs) over several years, even as they publicly promoted tougher enforcement measures targeting members of the public.

Hackney Council, governed by the Green Party, recorded payments totaling £10,250 for 96 parking and traffic fines during the most recent financial year. Despite this, the council described its parking enforcement strategy as its “strongest yet.” Councillor Jacob Cable, Hackney’s transport lead, emphasized that the amount paid from public funds represented only a small fraction of total fines issued, stating that 96% of penalties were personally covered by drivers.

Lewisham Council spent £15,350 on settlements related to 40 PCNs incurred by staff and contractors between May 2024 and December 2025, the latest period with available data. This came as the council announced plans to intensify crackdowns on abandoned vehicles.

In Wandsworth, officials said that increased London-wide PCN charges, introduced last year, were intended to discourage “dangerous and inconsiderate parking and driving.” Nonetheless, the council paid £10,040 in fines linked to employees and contractors from January 2023 to March 2026. A council representative noted that the authority promptly settled tickets for its vehicles to receive early payment discounts and sought reimbursement from any staff found responsible.

Croydon Council allocated £3,244 from public funds toward parking and vehicle-related penalties during the period reviewed. The council, led by Conservative Mayor Jason Perry, recently launched a crackdown on illegally abandoned cars, warning that offenders would face consequences such as vehicle tow-aways.

The councils’ disclosures on PCN payments were collated from purchase-card data and freedom of information requests. Reporting practices varied, with some councils only revealing transactions above certain thresholds and others not publishing recent figures. Hackney’s data indicated that more than half of its paid fines, around £6,060, went to Transport for London, while £3,215 were issued by Waltham Forest enforcement teams.

The findings highlight a contrast between local authorities’ public stance on enforcing parking regulations and their internal handling of staff-related violations. Councils defended the payments as routine administrative actions, clarifying that the majority of fines were ultimately settled by drivers themselves rather than solely by taxpayers.