A CITY council's improved procedures to prosecute people who do not pay parking tickets has reduced the backlog of unpaid fines by more than £150,000, it has been revealed.

The clampdown on 5,000 unpaid fines was instigated by Newcastle City Council in response to a review highlighting what were considered to be an unacceptable level of unpaid fines.

A minimum of one day a week has been set aside by the magistrates' courts to hear these cases, with about 100 cases heard every week.