Sacked traffic warden exposes 'secret quota system'

Mr Berkani, 45, won his employment tribunal this week after judge Jeremy Burns ruled that his opposition to the secret quota scheme could not 'justify dismissal.'

The father of two lost his job in February after tipping off a driver about to be given a ticket, and he claimed he was harrassed and eventually dismissed by NSL.

Internal emails revealed in evidence suggested that wardens were expected to issue an 'absolute minimum' of 10 tickets a day.

Mr Burns, sitting at the Central London Employment Tribunal, found that Mr Berkani was unfairly dismissed for his 'opposition to the respondent's clandestine quota system' and his trade union activity.

He added that many wardens felt under considerable pressure to issue parking tickets, and that some 'adopted a predatory and in some cases dishonest rather than co-operative approach to motorists.'

Mr Berkani said: "I feel relieved and I can now carry on with my life. I am pleased I stood up to them. I am applying to get my job back and I hope the system will change."

A spokesman for NSL said: "We are extremely disappointed with this judgement and are considering our options.

"We are an Investor in People - Gold organisation, which means our policies and procedures are recognised as being exemplary.

"We categorically deny any suggestion that any of our colleagues are set targets or receive incentives linked to the number of penalty charge notices that are issued."

A spokesman for Kensington and Chelsea Council added: "We have a responsibility to the public to ensure that our parking enforcement contract is managed efficiently and economically.

"Given the incredibly heavy demand on parking spaces in this borough and surrounding area, this remains a constant challenge and PCNs are issued to dissuade motorists from breaking the parking restrictions.

"However, in this borough we have seen an increase in compliance and therefore accept the continuing decline in the number of PCNs.

"The specifics of this case date back to 2009, and the council regularly reviews its contract with NSL to ensure that we maintain a sensible enforcement policy."