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.
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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.