A COUNCIL leader has hit back at the chairman of a parish council who deliberately landed himself with a parking fine to test the legality of parking in his home town.

Jason Hadlow, chairman of Yarm Town Council, parked without a disc in Yarm High Street in March and received a £60 fine.

As previously reported in The Northern Echo, Mr Hadlow was let off his fine after taking his case to a Traffic Penalty Tribunal.

However his victory was only based on the fact that markings in one particular bay were inadequate.

The chairman of the tribunal, Stephen Knapp, did not accept that the entire legal basis of parking in Yarm was legally flawed.

Mr Hadlow still argued that motorists were confused by parking arrangements already and the introduction of pay-and-display would make the situation worse.

However leader of Stockton Council, Bob Cook, dismissed that argument and stressed the Government’s Traffic Regulation Order for Yarm was lawful.

He said: “We can’t understand why Mr Hadlow is so pleased with his partial victory.

“The judgement concentrates on one individual parking bay but for us the main issue highlighted by this ruling is that despite numerous challenges, including two police investigations, at the High Court and the Traffic Penalty Tribunal the council has been fully exonerated.

“This ruling does not undermine but further supports the case for proposals to introduce pay and display in Yarm and we continue to believe that a pay and display system is more flexible and easier for people to understand and manage.

“Yet again it is our view that the Traffic Regulation Orders in Yarm are lawful, valid and appropriate. We feel the way in which Jason Hadlow has pursued his views on this issue has not been helpful.”