Saudi Arabia runs up bill of over £170,000 in unpaid parking fines across London
SAUDI Arabia has run up more than £170,000 in unpaid parking fines in London, figures obtained by The Sun reveal.
The oil-rich nation’s diplomats are accused of regularly leaving vehicles on double yellows or without the right permit.
Many claim diplomatic immunity to ignore tickets slapped on their embassy vehicles. Four London councils — Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, Hammersmith and Fulham, and Islington — are chasing almost £1million from other countries’ embassies in unpaid fines.
Saudi’s embassy bill in Mayfair is the highest at £172,335 for three years — meaning its staff dodged around 1,700 tickets.
Afghanistan’s has outstanding parking fines of £117,570 over the same period.
Other embassies whose staff ignored fines running into a total of five figures are Morocco, Nigeria and Iraq.
Diplomats are exempt from prosecution under the Vienna Convention so cannot be taken to court.
The AA’s Jack Cousens said non-payment it “hurts everyone, as there are less funds available to keep the roads in good condition”.
Saudi Arabia’s London embassy was contacted for comment.