A MOTORIST who ignored tickets he was given after parking his car at McDonalds each day has agreed to pay a bill of thousands of pounds.

Driver Edward Wales believed that charges for parking in a private car park could not be enforced in Scotland and left his car at the fast food restaurant in Glasgow's Finnieston while he went to work.

He received 33 tickets between March and August last year and was spotted on CCTV taking them off his car and throwing them away before driving off.

On one occasion he didn't get a ticket, and appeared surprised when he checked the spot they were usually left.

However, Combined Parking Solutions (CPS), who own the car park, launched legal action to claw back almost £5,000 in unpaid charges, and accepted a settlement for £2,980 shortly before a hearing at Glasgow Sheriff Court began.

The Sky-Park parking area, in Houldsworth Street, was reserved for McDonalds customers who stayed for less than two hours or for people who had a CPS permit.

A number of signs were placed alongside parking bays showing that there was a fixed parking charge for £100, reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days, although the amount increased to £150 per ticket if it remained unpaid.

Letters were sent to Mr Wales, but he said he had checked on the internet and found that charges for parking on private land were not enforceable in Scotland because it could no be proved he was the driver.

However, this is not the case as the owner of the vehicle is always presumed to be liable in civil cases.

Mike Perkins, Operations Manager of Combined Parking Solutions, said: “Yet again this is another case of someone logging onto the internet forums or listing to unqualified people that parking charges are not enforceable and yet again the courts agree they are fully enforceable and they continue to do so.

"If Mr Wales had consulted a real solicitor from the outset he would have only received one charge at £60 and not almost £3000."

He warned that CPS are reviewing more then 500 cases for legal action in Scotland, many for just one ticket.

He said: "I can only suggest even if people have received bad advice and ignored charges, it is not too late to contact us and settle at a much lower amount than it will be once legal action has commenced”

After leaving court, Mr Wales, of Glasgow, said that he made a mistake by believing the advice of friends and what he read on the internet.

He said: "When I got the first ticket I checked around and heard that they couldn;t do anything If I didn;t pay. It's the last tike I'll make that mistake."