Overview

• Between February and June 2025, the council mistakenly issued 10,422 bus-lane penalty charge notices under a wrong legal template, generating £485,220 in invalid fines.
• Southwark Council has admitted the administrative error and will automatically refund all affected motorists and cancel any unpaid notices within a month.
• The council said its contractors have agreed to reimburse the full cost of the refunds, ensuring taxpayers will not bear the expense.
• Officials reported that a review of other penalty notices found no further legal issues and that enforcement checks with contractors have been strengthened.
• Motorist campaigner Phillip Morgan uncovered the template fault through a Freedom of Information request after warning the council in April.