Drivers could be fined £2,500 or face 3 months in JAIL for making an easy mistake when parking

DRIVERS could be fined up to £2,500 or even face up to three months in jail for making an easy mistake when parking.

Although it’s not illegal to park on a private residential street, leaving a vehicle for too long could land motorists in hot water.

Under Section 2 of the Refuse Disposal Act 1978 that anyone who abandons a vehicle, or parts of a vehicle on roads or land in the open air, can be issued a fixed penalty notice or prosecuted by authorities.

And this applies to private land and private roads too.

If found guilty, motorists could face the maximum fine of £2,500 or three months in prison.

Before authorities remove a vehicle they must try to find the owner to give them seven days’ written notice to collect it.

If the owner claims the vehicle and pays for removal and storage, the authorities must return the vehicle to them.

It comes after two motorists in Gloucestershire faced the full wrath of the law as they were ordered to pay more than £3,000 in fines and costs for abandoning vehicles on a residential street.

Cheltenham Borough Council issued the fines after the two vehicles had been left on separate occasions stretching across six months, reported .

The two men was forced to pay full court costs and a victim surcharge totalling £1,370.98, and £2,079.37 respectively as both cases were heard at the town’s magistrates court last month.

Mike Redman, the council's director of environment, said: “We are repeatedly asked to deal with abandoned cars and the community are keen for us to catch the people responsible.

“These prosecutions show that where there is evidence the council will issue fixed penalty notices and where appropriate pursue the matter through the courts.”

Drivers are now being warned to make sure they are aware of an avalanche of new laws coming into effect next month.

Councils across England and Wales will be handed new powers to charge drivers for a number of traffic offences.