A vehicle with 290 unpaid parking tickets has been seized by Wiltshire Council.
The black Volkswagen Golf was removed earlier this month after what the authority described as a prolonged period of offending and non-payment.
An investigation by the council’s Parking Services team found the car had repeatedly breached parking rules across the city of Salisbury.
Officers also discovered it had been registered using false details, including the address of a genuine business with no connection to the offences.
Since October 2025, the current registered keeper has racked up more than 140 unpaid penalty charge notices, totalling over £3,000.
Before that, the vehicle was registered to an associate and accumulated more than 150 PCNs. The council believes it is one of the most prolific offending vehicles in Wiltshire.
The seizure was carried out in partnership with enforcement agents Rundles as part of ongoing efforts to tackle persistent evasion and protect local communities.
Wiltshire Council said it always considers whether enforcement action is proportionate to the value of a vehicle and the size of the outstanding debt. In this case, it concluded that seizing the car was necessary to prevent further offending and to remove a nuisance vehicle from the street.
Cllr Martin Smith, Cabinet Member for Highways, said: “We have a small number of motorists who repeatedly refuse to pay to park, either in car parks or on the public highway, and instead allow large numbers of PCNs to accumulate.
“In this case, the driver has been a complete nuisance to neighbours and the wider area, and our priority was to remove the vehicle from the road and send a clear message that persistent evasion will not be tolerated.
“Unpaid parking penalties place a significant burden on the council and ultimately on taxpayers, but they also cause real inconvenience for local residents and legitimate businesses.
“We are particularly concerned about a growing pattern of vehicles being registered using false names and the addresses of genuine businesses without their knowledge or consent, unfairly implicating owners who have no connection to these offences.
“We will continue to take firm and proportionate action against unpaid penalties, fraudulent vehicle registrations and those who deliberately avoid enforcement. It’s essential that parking is managed fairly and legally so everyone can use our roads and town centres safely and responsibly.”
If the outstanding PCNs remain unpaid, the vehicle could be sold at auction to recover the debt, in line with enforcement regulations.
The council is encouraging anyone who is struggling to pay a parking penalty to make contact at an early stage. It warns that ignoring fines or attempting to avoid enforcement can lead to escalating costs and the loss of personal property.
