Foreign embassies owe £275,000

Foreign diplomats and embassy staff last year ran up debts of more than £275,000 after failing to settle almost 6,000 tickets for illegal parking and minor traffic violations.

Worst offenders were the Angolans who owe £44,470 for 1,088 unpaid fines. The United Arab Emirates collected 287 tickets, worth £14,150. The Libyans have £10,710 outstanding for 222 penalty notices.

A spokeswoman for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said: "There is no such thing as diplomatic immunity for these type of offences, so we have to take action."

Officials contacted the heads of the embassies about the problem, prompting payments of nearly £63,000 to be made - but more than £200,000 is still owing.

"Further action will be taken," said the spokeswoman.

Conservative MP Andrew Mitchell said: "This is an abuse by foreign diplomats of British hospitality and these governments should settle up immediately."

A spokesman for the Angolan Embassy said the real figure still outstanding was closer to £5,000.

A total of 24 countries also owe more than £1.2 million in unpaid business rates. Bulgaria owes £117,511 for offices in Knightsbridge, while Iran is nearly £100,000 in arrears. Sierra Leone and Algeria both owe more than £40,000.

The Foreign Office also revealed foreign diplomats and embassy staff escaped prosecution on 21 serious criminal offences by claiming diplomatic immunity.