MORE than 1,600 motorists were fined in car parks throughout the Hambleton district last year - amid fears that the charges are driving people out of the market towns.
The information was unearthed by a group of concerned residents who have set up the ‘Armchair Auditors’ to scrutinise council decisions and actions.
Through Freedom of Information requests they also discovered the fines raised nearly £40,000 for Hambleton District Council but they do not yet know how much was raised in the car parks, including Northallerton, Thirsk and Easingwold.
Hambleton District Council declined to comment, but independent councillor John Coulson said he believed the charges and enforcement were driving people out of Northallerton.
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