Almost £1.7m worth of parking fines were handed out across the city of Norwich last year, new figures have revealed.

The worst hit areas for motorists being hit with parking charge notices (PCNs) were in the city centre, according to figures obtained under the Freedom Of Information Act.

And Colegate consistently saw the most fines being dished out, with around 1,000 a year.

In 2017, a total of 931 PCNs were given out to motorists illegally parked on Colegate. In the same year the area with the second highest number of tickets of the Chantry car park with 678, followed by 596 at St Giles Street and 595 at St Benedict's Street.

In 2016 1,062 PCNs were handed out at Colegate, with Chantry car park again seeing the second highest number with 820. It was followed by Tombland at 735 and St Benedict's Street at 655.

Eastern Daily Press: Hot spots around norwich city centre where parking fines are on the rise.St GilesByline: Sonya DuncanCopyright: Archant 2018Hot spots around norwich city centre where parking fines are on the rise.St GilesByline: Sonya DuncanCopyright: Archant 2018 (Image: Archant 2017)

In 2016 25,100 PCNs were issued by Norwich City Council, valued at £1,619,066. In 2017, 26,500 PCNs totalled £1,695,450 - a rise of almost £8,000 on the previous year.

PCNs can be issued for either £50 or £70, and last year more of the higher charges were issued at St Benedicts Street compares to St Giles Street.

While one more PCN was issued at the latter, the former saw £400 more in fines.

A Norwich City Council spokesperson said: 'The very vast majority of drivers park considerately, safely and legally.

Eastern Daily Press: Hot spots around norwich city centre where parking fines are on the rise.St GilesByline: Sonya DuncanCopyright: Archant 2018Hot spots around norwich city centre where parking fines are on the rise.St GilesByline: Sonya DuncanCopyright: Archant 2018 (Image: Archant 2017)

'For the minority who don't, our civil enforcement officers play an important role in helping make sure traffic can flow freely in the city. Livelihoods even lives can depend on it.

'Businesses need to receive their deliveries, shops their customers, we all to need to be able to get about and emergency services must be able to respond to call-outs.

'This is, of course, all the more important in the city centre where the repercussions of jams in traffic are more severe and traffic is at its busiest.

'Any money collected for fines is ploughed back into public services and for anyone who has received a fine where there were extenuating circumstances there are challenge and appeal processes.'

Eastern Daily Press: Hot spots around norwich city centre where parking fines are on the rise.St GilesByline: Sonya DuncanCopyright: Archant 2018Hot spots around norwich city centre where parking fines are on the rise.St GilesByline: Sonya DuncanCopyright: Archant 2018 (Image: Archant 2017)

The council attributed the rise in the number of fines to more parking offences being committed in the city.

Eastern Daily Press: Streets with the highest number of parking fines in Norwich. Picture: ArchantStreets with the highest number of parking fines in Norwich. Picture: Archant (Image: Archant)