Free Traffic Legal Advice

Hi all,

I received a PCN from the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames (RBK) on Tolworth Broadway on 23/05/2026.

The PCN says the vehicle was observed from 12:37 to 12:43 without payment of the parking charge. I later purchased parking through RingGo at 12:47.

My account of what happened is as follows:

I arrived at around 12:40, parked, and attempted to pay using RingGo. It was during the unusually hot weather/heatwave on 23 May 2026. News reports from that day state that the UK recorded its hottest day of the year so far and the first May temperature above 30°C since 2012. The same reports also mention amber heat-health alerts across parts of England, including London and the South East.

My phone was overheating / not operating properly, which delayed me from immediately completing the RingGo payment. There are no parking meters on that street anymore as far as I could see, so I had to use the phone/app payment method. I managed to complete the RingGo payment at 12:47.

I have checked the Kingston PCN evidence page and, unless I am missing something, I cannot see evidence showing my vehicle was continuously observed from 12:37 to 12:43. I can see that the PCN alleges those observation times, but I cannot see proof that the car was there from 12:37. My position is that I arrived around 12:40 and paid shortly afterwards. The first photo on the RBK website shows the first photo at 12:42

I have not yet submitted an appeal. I wanted to ask whether there is any realistic appeal point here, or whether this is likely to be treated simply as “payment was made after the PCN was issued”.

Points I am considering mentioning in an informal challenge:

1. I arrived at approximately 12:40, not 12:37.
2. I paid through RingGo at 12:47, shortly after arrival.
3. The short delay was due to difficulty using my phone/app during unusually hot weather, when my phone was overheating / not operating properly.
4. There were no street parking meters available as an alternative payment method.
5. The council evidence page does not appear to show proof of continuous observation from 12:37 to 12:43.
6. If they do not cancel, I would ask for the CEO’s notes, all photos, and evidence relied upon to show the vehicle was present throughout the observation period.

Please see below for both sides of the PCN. I also have screenshots showing I have valid parking via RingGo that I can upload here if required.

https://imgpile.com/p/2WFY9rD


Google Streetview is here:

Would you advise submitting an informal challenge on these facts, and if so, is there any particular wording or legal point I should use/avoid?

Thank you all!

So where were you when you paid?

Why did you park there?

Leaving the car unattended is a common reason we see for PCNs, and adjudicators are alert to people starting a session when they see a PCN was issued.