The £2m congestion charge untouchables

Last updated at 15:34 12 December 2005


Diplomatic missions in the UK owe almost £2million in fines for unpaid London congestion charges, it has emerged.

Figures released by the Foreign Office show the top ten countries, including USA, Zimbabwe and Sierra Leone, owe £1.9million on 20,804 unpaid fines.

In all 32,761 fines owed by diplomatic missions have not been paid since the charge was introduced in February 2003.

However, a spokesman for Transport For London today admitted to Mail online that the Foreign Embassies were essentially untouchable.

"The foreign embassies have diplomatic immunity, so we are extremely limited in what we can do. The congestion charge is a service not a tax and, like any other service, the embassies ought to pay it," he said.

Even close allies such as the US are refusing to pay the charge. "The US embassy stopped paying earlier this year, and we are taking legal advice on what action we can take," said the TFL spokesman.

The ten worst offenders are: United Arab Emirates £452,650; Angola £392,750; Sudan £274,870; Nigeria £140.620; Tanzania £136,280; Sierra Leone £135,290; South Africa £122,590; Kenya £96,010; Zimbabwe £96,390; USA £62,250.

Foreign Secretary Jack Straw also said in a written statement that 4,135 unpaid parking and traffic offence fines from 2004, totalling £344,190, remain unpaid by diplomatic missions and international organisations.

In July this year the Foreign Office wrote to offenders to pay up or appeal against fines, which saw £63,650 paid off from the original total of £425,480.

The worst offender in this category was Kazakhstan with 246 fines outstanding owing a total of £23,870.

Around £880,000 is also owed by diplomatic missions in unpaid National Non-Domestic Rates which cover services such as street cleaning, lighting and fire services.

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