Parking cheat insists there's 'no danger' he will pay fines

• Darren McPhee's van has been hit withmorethan 160 tickets at his Fountainbridge home.

Darren McPhee, 24, can be revealed as the driver who was hit with more than 160 parking tickets since August – most of them outside his home on Murdoch Terrace, Fountainbridge.

The Evening News told yesterday how his white Ford Transit van has been a daily magnet for traffic wardens, with clusters of tickets collecting under his windscreen wipers each week.

Unemployed Mr McPhee said he realised he was in hot water after receiving dozens of warning letters but has refused to settle his debts because he feels he should not have to pay to park "in his own street".

Mr McPhee, who said he was unaware he could buy a residents' permit until recently, had paid parking fines slapped on his 12-year-old van in the past until an incident with a warden.

He said: "It all started one day on my street when I asked a traffic warden if it was OK to park, quickly grab something out of my house and shoot off again," said Mr McPhee.

"He said that was fine but when I came out from the house minutes later there was a parking ticket on the van. I said there's no danger I'm paying that. That kicked it all off."

Parking restrictions came into force in Murdoch Terrace in July 2007.

The former landscaper said he has been signed off work for the last three years as he dealt with health problems. He added that he had only started to feel better in the last few weeks.

He said: "I never thought it would go this far because after about ten tickets I thought they would take my van. Even after I didn't pay the first couple they threatened to take it off me.

"I just thought the van is not worth that much and if they clamped it or took it away I would not be that bothered."

The motorist, who says he has clocked up two or three parking fines in a single day, stressed he did not have the money to meet his mounting bill.

Asked why he didn't get a permit, he replied: "I did not know about the permit holder thing until a neighbour told me about it. I didn't know where to get one and by then I already had about ten unpaid parking tickets so I thought 'what's the point?'

"Using the pay and display meters was costing me 9 per day. I couldn't afford it so stopped paying and started getting fines. I'm not working and have to pay gas, electricity and feed myself and my dog.

"Why should I pay for a permit when I pay council tax and road tax and everything? Why should I have to pay that as well?

"I used to pay them to start with but then I was getting them all the time. I didn't know it was 9,000 until you told me about it and I guess I'm probably going to jail for that because I can't afford to pay it."

Mr McPhee, who collected seven parking tickets in the last week alone, said he was "obviously worried" about the large bill but added: "We have to pay for permits to prevent other people going to work in town from parking in our street. I don't see why I should have to pay to park in my own street just because I happen to live near the town."

Money owed from unpaid parking fines in Edinburgh now stands at more than 3 million.

New clamping rules are set to come into force in the city later this year which will see cars immobilised and their owners hit with a 70 bill. Parking cheats could even see their cars scrapped if they fail to pay up.