The York Council has agreed tonight to cancel the end of December deadline for motorists wanting to reclaim fines unlawfully levied on Lendal Bridge.

They have promised that there will be a report in January which will confirm how the fines will be repaid “automatically”.

The decision was taken after the new Council required the Labour Cabinet to act to make the refunds.

It has also emerged that very few of the fines lodged against foreign tourists have been repaid.

The figures are:

Of the 5460 payments issued,

• 1927 (35%) have been to YO postcodes,
• 3531 (65%) have been to the rest of the UK, and
• 2 overseas (0.04%).