Christopher Biggins today accused Hackney council of “outrageous” money-making after he left a restaurant to find his new sports car had been towed away.
The actor and TV presenter, 64, had been having a late dinner with friends in Shoreditch when he discovered the £36,000 Mercedes he bought only the previous day had vanished.
Thinking it had been stolen, he called police — but the Mercedes SLK 250 had been towed away by council parking contractors.
Biggins said he left it parked on a single yellow line and missed a small sign prohibiting parking. He plans to take the council to court. “It is such a money-making thing for the borough of Hackney,” he said. “There were double yellow lines where you obviously can’t park, and a single yellow line in the middle.
“I have been driving in London for 45 years. Everyone knows you can park on single yellows after 6.30pm. But I missed a tiny ‘no parking’ sign. It is very confusing and wrong, and is just set up to deceive people. It is just a way to make extra revenue.”
He had been out with four friends, including designer William Sharp, at the Rivington Grill. “I honestly believed the car had been stolen — I never thought it would have been towed away,” he added. “The only reason to do it is to make money. Why have a single yellow line if parking is forbidden? Why not make it all double yellow? I just don’t understand it.”
A council spokeswoman said the car was removed as it was “blocking the passing place at a time when it was needed by oncoming traffic”. She added: “It’s really unfortunate that Mr Biggins, one of
Hackney’s best-loved residents, had to suffer this inconvenience. However, he was parked on a clearly marked single yellow line.”
The star said: “I’ve told them I’m going to court. I am standing up for Londoners. I live in Hackney, it is my borough, and this is just outrageous.”
