A PLANT hire boss has received a London congestion penalty fine - for a van which has never left the North.

John Laverick, who runs Laverick Plant Hire, at Moulton, near Richmond, North Yorkshire, received a penalty ticket for £40 for failing to pay a congestion charge after one of his vans was allegedly photographed in Marylebone Road on July 11.

But Mr Laverick said: "The lad that drives that van wasn't out that day. In fact, the van has never left Yorkshire.

"None of my vans go to London, which is what I don't understand. It even described the make and model of the vehicle.

"I know the van wasn't in London because it was parked in the yard that day."

But he said: "If you want to see the pictures the congestion charge camera took, you have to pay £10.

"I think the London drivers are trying to cheat the system by putting different registration plates on their cars."

A spokeswoman for Transport for London said: "There are very occasionally errors occurring with customers or people entering the wrong vehicle registration, and sometimes the congestion charge cameras will do a misread.

"There is no system in the world which is 100 per cent perfect, which is why we have set up a system for representation."

She said that if Mr Laverick wanted to appeal he could write confirming that the vehicle had been parked in his yard.

Every vehicle entering a small area of central London is photographed by congestion cameras, after which the driver has 24 hours to pay a £5 charge online or in central London shops. If the fine is unpaid, a penalty notice is sent out.