A BUSINESS director who flouted parking restrictions by using fraudulent registration plates has ended up with a bill of nearly £8,000.

Julian King parked numerous high-value vehicles in Brighton and Hove, including a Porsche, Bentley, Range Rover, Mercedes, Audi and BMWs, knowing their registrations could not be traced back to him.

The 43-year-old company director of Withdean Road, Brighton, appeared at Brighton Magistrates' Court on July 27 charged with three offences of fraudulently using a vehicle registration mark and one of possessing an article in connection with fraud.

He was found guilty of defrauding Brighton and Hove City Council by parking numerous vehicles around the city in resident permit bays, loading bays and on double yellow lines dishonestly, knowing the plates displayed on the vehicles could not be traced back to him through the council's parking enforcement enquiries.

The court heard that he also evaded detection by concealing the tax disc in the vehicle on each occasion to prevent authorities establishing the correct owner's details.

King was found guilty of using the vehicles to commit the offences on at least 45 occasions over a period of about five years.

He was fined £3,870 and costs of £2,000. Compensation of £2,000 was ordered to the council and a victim surcharge of £120 was imposed.

A number of licence plates owned by King have been revoked by the Driver Vehicle and Licensing Agency.