TRANSPORT for London (TfL) have been criticised by the local government ombudsman for taking unnecessary bailiff action.

A total of three motorists received and paid penalty charge notices (PCNs) but later had action taken against them as the authority failed to connect payments up with the relevant PCNs.

Finding "serious deficiencies" with TfL's officers, local government ombudsman Tony Redmond said: "It is not acceptable that cheques were cashed by the authority and then little effort was made to contact the drawer or attempt made to reconcile the payments with the relevant penalties."

It was found that bailiff action was wrongly taken in all three cases.

Two of the complainants had to pay the penalties for a second time, as well as bailiff costs, before their vehicles were released from clamps.

One was visited in the early hours of the morning and showed the bailiff evidence that payment had been made.

But the bailiff refused to consider the evidence and the motorist had to pay him more than £600 to get his car released.

It was also found that TfL misunderstood the motorists' representations when they called, gave them inadequate responses and failed to give them proper advice on what information was needed.

TfL did finally accept the error, and although additional costs were refunded promptly, the original fines, which had been paid twice, were not refunded "within a reasonable period".

The ombudsman found maladministration leading to injustice in all three complaints.

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