A parking expert has described parking signs in Woodford Green as ‘the worst he has ever seen’.

Last night’s episode of BBC One’s Inside Out London looked at whether motorists in Redbridge are being caught out by misleading parking signs and whether the council is ‘turning a blind eye’.

Filming opposite Woodford Bowling Club and near Woodford tube station in Kings Avenue, Woodford Green, journalist Louise Hulland spoke to parking ticket expert Barrie Segal.

He said: “There are no signs in the bays with the legally required information, which is absolutely astonishing.

“These signs are the worst I have ever seen, they are confusing, misleading, and unfair to motorists.”

Ms Hulland said civil enforcement officers for the council had contacted her saying“there are several inadequate or misleading signs around Redbridge, and the council is turning a blind eye.”

She explained that the problems are mainly with the RingGo parking system the council uses that allows motorists to pay for parking by phone.

The documentary claimed that many parking bays in Redbridge have two different parking location numbers, meaning motorists often use the wrong one and are then fined.

In a secretly- recorded conversation between a parking officer and ACPOA, the company the council uses for parking enforcement, he said: “You go to the High Road in Woodford Green and I can show you at least five bays which aren’t enforceable."

Email exchanges also revealed officers were congratulated by the council for enforcing large numbers of fines, with one reading: “Excellent performance with tickets over the weekend - 12.7 per officer.”

ACPOA said it has launched an investigation into the claims made in the show.

Council leader, Councillor Jas Athwal said: "Redbridge has some of the lowest levels of parking enforcement in the capital, and I think that should be applauded.

"At no stage has myself, the cabinet member, or officers contacted the contractor and asked them to raise the number of fines. But we will be looking into the concerns raised in the BBC programme."