A COUNCIL was wrong to pursue a motorist through solicitors and debt collectors over a parking fine, an ombudsman found.

Wycombe District Council should have let the motorist make his case in court, the Local Government Ombudsman said.

An LGO report today revealed the case - and said the council had apologised and pledged to see similar cases through the courts.

The driver disputed "an alleged parking contravention" in one of the council's car parks, the report says.

It says: "The council did not take the motorist to court which would have allowed him to explain why he felt the Council had unreasonably issued the parking ticket, but pursued him for payment using debt collectors and solicitors.

"It was our view that where a motorist disputed the issue of a penalty it was wrong for the council to pursue him in this way over a number of months without allowing him to put his case in court.

The case was revealed in the LGO's annual letter to the council on complaints referred to the service in 2007/08.

It adds: "Your council accepted this view and has now changed its procedure so that if a motorist disputes a penalty it may now pursue the matter through the judicial system, allowing the motorist to put his defence. I welcome this change in procedure.

"In this case your Council settled the complaint by cancelling the penalty and apologising to the complainant."

The report also includes a widely publicised ruling against the council from last year over a mobile phone mast.

Communications firm O2 put up a phone mast in Arnison Avenue. High Wycombe after the authority failed to respond.

The mast went up without residents knowing and the ombudsman said the council should have kept them informed.

This week's report says: "Your Council agreed to pay each of the complainants £550 to recognise their anxiety and distress and the time and trouble they had been put to."

It says of 2007/08: "I received a total of 24 complaints against your authority, a third down on last year. Half of these complaints were about planning and building control but this figure was also a third down on last year.

"There were five complaints about housing, again fewer than last year (nine)."