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London Road Sees 11,258 Fines in a Year as Driver Accuses Council of Misleading Signs
Freedom of Information figures show Islington Council issued 11,258 penalty charge notices on Benwell Road in north London between January 2025 and January 2026, over 30 a day; a 53-year-old driver's appeal over poor signage was rejected, and his £80 fine has climbed to £329.
Why it matters
More than 11,000 fines on a single street in one year — roughly one driver caught every hour — has raised questions over whether low-traffic-neighbourhood (LTN) signage is "deliberately misleading". Islington issues around 400,000 penalty notices a year, one of the highest rates in the country, reigniting the debate over traffic enforcement.
Details
The Times, citing Freedom of Information data, reports that Islington Council handed out 11,258 penalty charge notices (PCNs) on Benwell Road in north London — near the Emirates Stadium, inside an LTN restriction — between January 2025 and January 2026, an average of more than 30 a day. Joel Meadows, 53, was fined after turning down the road in January; his appeal on the grounds of poor signage and lack of warning was rejected in May, and the £80 fine has since climbed to £329. He said there was no advance warning when entering from Drayton Park Road, with drivers only alerted to the restriction around three-quarters of the way down the street: "By the time you see the signage, you're already on the road." He has written again to the traffic enforcement authorities and is awaiting a decision.
Sources
The Times (via britbrief.co.uk, qncnews.com, Oct 12–13, 2026).
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