ULEZ 'ILLEGAL' Hated ULEZ expansion in chaos after landmark legal ruling

LONDON Mayor Sadiq Khan’s hated ultra-low emission zone was in chaos last night following a landmark legal verdict.

Scaffolder Noel Willcox — hit with £11,500 in penalties — won a ruling that key signs for its sister scheme are not lawful.

And he believes his win paves the way for others to fight charges when Khan’s Ulez expands to cover the whole of Greater London tomorrow.

It comes as a study showed 75 per cent of motorists win their appeals over charges for clean-air zones outside the capital.

Noel, 48, ran up his huge bill from a company truck heading to and from a depot in Harefield, North West London.

Under the Low Emission Zone (Lez), polluting vans and HGVs must pay up to £300 a day or face big fines.

Noel refused to pay and an appeal tribunal ruled in his favour, saying Transport for London’s Lez signs are not “authorised and lawful”.

He said: “The Road Traffic Act states if there is a risk that motorists are going to be charged, you have to let them know.

“But the low emission zone signs just say ‘Lez’ or ‘Ulez Zone’. They don’t make it clear about charges.”

The win by Noel, of Berkhamsted, Herts, is not binding in other courts, but celeb lawyer Nick “Mr Loophole” Freeman said: “It’s what’s known as ‘persuasive’, which means it can be used in other cases.”

He added of the signs: “Just saying you are in a zone is, by itself, meaningless.”

“They need to tell you not just where you are but what happens, in other words a charge could be incurred.

Nick Freeman added: “Because that hasn’t happened, the signs are neither use nor ornament.

"They are not fit for purpose and might as well not be there."

“Because this was a hearing at the first level it is not legally binding.

“But it is what’s known as ‘persuasive’, which means it can be used in other cases.

“I believe the tribunal made the right ruling and TfL have got it wrong.

“In my view there is insufficient information on the signs. They don’t comply with the regulations

“It speaks volumes that TfL were given an opportunity to produce evidence that these signs were compliant with the Traffic Signs and Directions 2016 and they completely ignored it.

“They had the chance to appeal but they didn’t do that. Instead they sent the bailiffs after Noel Willcox, which shows total contempt.”

TfL insisted the Lez signs were deemed lawful by the Department of Transport in 2008.

It added: “We are investigating why the correct evidence was not submitted.”

Cost of working
IT CONSULTANT Markus Thompson will have to pay £87.50 a week to go to work and ferry his two daughters around.

Markus, 51, of Cockfosters, uses his 2014 diesel E-class Mercedes five days a week to see clients.

At weekend he uses it to take daughters Lola, 13, and Betty, nine, on outings.

He said: “The car is worth £7-8,000 but I will only get two grand for it under the Mayor’s scrappage scheme.”

'Forced off road'
RETIRED policeman Roger Whipp will have to pay £12.50 every time he and wife Margaret want to drive to the supermarket.

Roger, 75, of Romford, Essex, splashed out on a new Hyundai estate nine years ago.

He said: “At my age I cannot afford a new car.