London's worst streets for traffic wardens

The streets most targeted by parking attendants can be revealed today.

Other main central London streets are monitored twice an hour, often by several wardens at once.

The findings reveal just how determined the attendants - and London's councils - are to issue tickets.

The most intensively patrolled site of all was Golden Square in Soho, where Westminster's attendants were in action constantly throughout the day.

Rebecca Rees, of the AA, said: "It is all out of proportion. This will add to motorists' suspicions that parking enforcement has as much to do with raising money as with keeping the streets flowing."

Evening Standard survey - with the help of AppealNow.com, the web service that fights unfair tickets on behalf of motorists - observed areas known to yield high numbers of fines. We monitored the number of attendants targeting each area and the frequency with which they patrolled.

We also noted misleadingly worded signs or markings, which make it even harder for motorists to stay inside the law.

Of the 10 most hotly-policed streets, six were in Westminster, which last year netted an estimated ?52.6 million from parking tickets. Two were in Kensington and Chelsea, estimated to have earned ?14.6 million in parking fines last year.

Barrie Segal, of AppealNow.com, said the survey revealed "the councils' goldmines". Chartered accountant Mr Segal, who helped compile the survey, added: "This kind of patrolling explains how London authorities earned more than ?239million in parking fines last year."

Today Alastair Gilchrist, Westminster's new "parking czar", said: "We direct our parking attendants to where they are most needed. Especially in Soho, where there are narrow streets, we need to keep things moving. The money goes back into traffic schemes."

A spokesman for Westminster added that all signs and road markings followed the Traffic Regulations Act 2002.