A Birmingham road has been identified as one of the most expensive for motorists in the country – costing #339,960 a year in parking fines.

Alum Rock Road has been highlighted in a Channel 4 News survey, which looked at the amount of money generated through motoring fines in different streets.

The Saltley street was named as one of the worst outside of London.

But Birmingham City Council defended the costs, which it claimed reflected how busy the road was and its high volume of traffic.

A Council spokeswoman said: "Safety of all road users has to be paramount.

"Illegal or badly parked vehicles slow down all road users, including emergency services, buses and delivery vehicles, and make roads particularly dangerous for drivers, shoppers, pedestrians and cyclists.

"The city council receive numerous complaints from local residents, the police, local emergency services and Travel West Midlands asking us to take enforcement measures against illegal parking in Alum Rock Road to reduce dangers and delays caused by inconsiderate parking.

"A recent initiative was to provide additional signs for the traders to display in their shop windows to remind motorists of the times when parking is and is not permitted."

The comments were made following the publication of a Commons Transport Committee inquiry, which warned that parking policy across Britain was "inconsistent and confused".

The city was one of the first authorities to take over responsibility for parking enforcement, which had previously been dealt with by the police. For the past five years, traffic wardens in Birmingham have been employed by a private company contracted by the council.

The most expensive road in the country was named in the survey as Lordship Lane in Tottenham, north London, where #3.18 million was paid in fines in 2004/05. The total was made up of a mixture of fines from enforcement cameras and parking attendants.

Motorists in two other London streets also forked out large sums – #1.01 million in Newington Green Road, Islington, north London in 2005/06 and #1.91 million in Vine Street, Uxbridge, west London, for the period 2004/06.

Outside London, the most-ticketed streets in 2005/06 included George Street in Edinburgh, #1.25 million, and #378,180 for Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow.

Barrie Segal, parking campaigner and founder of Appeal Now, said: "The main problem is there is not a motorist out there who believes these tickets are issued for the benefit of keeping the streets clear."

A spokesman for the Local Government Association said: "Parking regulations are there for everyone to abide by, to maintain road safety, keep the traffic moving and help get you safely through the day.

"Any revenue raised from fixed penalty charges is retained locally for funding the enforcement system. Any surplus money is spent on local transport investment such as road maintenance."

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George Street in Edinburgh and Alum Rock Road in Birmingham could not be more different.

Yet the roads have been named as two of the most expensive in the UK with motorists forking out excessive costs for parking fines.

Although both are known for their range of shops, George Street is more likely to be visited by more affluent shoppers, who hope to visit its range of department stores.

Situated to the north of Princes Street in the city, it is the centre of the city's financial district and features several notable buildings including the Assembly Rooms and the St Andrew and St George's Church.

As part of James Craig's plan for the New Town, George Street was laid out from 1767 and was named in honour of King George III.

Alum Rock Road, which begins at Saltley Gate and ends at Railway Bridge is known for its high number of Asian businesses stretched along the mile-long street.