NEARLY every motorist will be familiar with the sinking feeling you get when you return to your car to find it has been given a parking ticket.

But a new book by an author who hails from the Tyne Valley may help drivers avoid paying unfair fines.

Scott Dixon, who lives in Edinburgh but is from Prudhoe, recently released his self-published book How to Complain: The Consumer Guide to Cancelling Parking Tickets and Winning Pothole Claims.

Scott penned his first book, How to Effectively Resolve Complaints and Motoring Disputes three years ago, under the alias the Grumpy Git. He said he wrote his new book after he was repeatedly contacted for advice on the issue of parking tickets and pothole claims.

Scott said: “I seemed to get asked a lot of questions about parking tickets on the back of my last book.

“It’s a problem that keeps cropping up. This year, it’s estimated that motorists will be hit by £8.6m in private parking tickets. You have a one in four chance of getting caught out.

“Nobody is shining a light on what is an unregulated industry; nobody understands the implications. I wanted to help others.

“I released it a few weeks ago, and I’ve had some good feedback. The reviews have been good.”

How to Complain: The Consumer Guide to Cancelling Parking Tickets and Winning Pothole Claims is available to purchase on Amazon.