A WEALTHY businessman flouted parking restrictions by using fraudulent number plates on his luxury cars.

He used registration plates not registered to a Porsche and Bentley so he could not be linked to petty parking offences such as parking on double yellow lines.

Julian King has been handed a bill of nearly £8,000 after bring convicted the "calculated fraud".

The 43-year-old parked high-end cars including a Porsche, Bentley, Range Rover, Mercedes, Audi and BMWs, knowing their registrations could not be traced back to him.

The company director, who lives in a £2.5 million gated mansion in Withdean Road, Brighton, is involved with several companies, all listed at 20 Victoria Way in Burgess Hill.

He was listed as a director of Safe Space Storage Ltd until 2007 and also worked at Sterling Estates and Developments.

He is now listed as the secretary of National Homebuyers, an organisation that buys homes from people who need to raise cash quickly.

He is also listed as secretary of The Loan Superstore and Momentum Estates.

King appeared at Brighton Magistrates' Court on July 27.

He was found guilty of three counts of fraudulently using a vehicle registration mark and one of possessing an article in connection with fraud.

King carried out the fraud at least 45 times over five years, parking numerous cars in resident permit bays, loading bays and on double yellow lines.

He evaded detection by concealing the tax disc in the vehicle to prevent authorities establishing the owner's details.

Tax discs on the vehicles were folded over, to hide the fact the registrations on the discs were different to those on the plates.

Police said King used three old vehicle registration plates not assigned to vehicles he owned.

Driver Vehicle and Licensing Agency (DVLA) checks could not link the cars to the suspect. The DVLA has now revoked the offending plates.

The offences came to light in May last year when a woman reported she had received 15 parking tickets for a car that was not hers, but had a similar licence plate number to hers.

King was fined £3,870, and ordered to pay costs of £2,000, compensation of £2,000 and a victim surcharge of £120.

PC Mark Bassett said: "This wasn't a case of someone trying to get away with a quick stop somewhere they shouldn't or spending a little too long shopping. This was calculated fraud, pure and simple, and it has been rightfully punished."

A Brighton and Hove City Council spokeswoman said: "The council co-operated with the police throughout, providing evidence when available and a member of staff from our parking services team appeared in court as requested."