Foreign embassies’ motoring fines revealed
The bill for unpaid congestion charges by foreign diplomats in London has reached £87.4m, MPs have been told. The US – which argues it is covered by diplomatic immunity – owes £9.4m, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said. Councils are also owed £322,135 in unpaid parking fines, including £49,000 from the Nigerian High Commission. In a written statement, Mr Hammond said the Foreign Office had held meetings with a number of embassies about their parking fine debt, and had also sent letters asking them to pay or appeal if they thought they were incorrect. Payments totalling £214,154 were then made, he said, leaving the total bill for 2014 of £322,135. The multimillion pound congestion charge bill dates from February 2003 until 31 December 2014.