MYSTERIOUS NSL LTD AND OUR COUNCIL

Greedy Hypocrite, Sam Younger

NSL Limited is a monopoly supplier of parking enforcement services. It is a secretive organisation that embraces ruthless debt collection services through its subsidiary company, Marston.

It also controls all RBK&C Parking services. There was a time when RBK&C efficiently ran its own

It claims that its Marston offshoot operates within an 'ethical framework' headed by an advisory group run by Sam Younger CBE. Who's he? Astonishingly, he is the chairman of consumer organisation Which? 

NSL is owned by yet another company, Marston (Holdings) Limited, which in turn is owned by another company, and so on and so on, through an amazing ten layers of companies until you get to the top of the tree, which is Free Flow Topco Limited. 

It has contracts with local councils and government agencies that include enforcing warrants, issuing warning notices, clamping, impounding, and disposing of vehicles. And last year its turnover was £255million. 

No, you have not misread this. Which? – the organisation that provides page after page of website advice about how to fight parking tickets – is headed by a man who works for a company that makes millions out of issuing parking tickets. 

So, I contacted Which? and invited a comment from Sam Younger. Did he believe the confusing layout of Marston's pay and display tickets met ethical standards? And does he believe it is fair that the time taken to consider an appeal would mean the penalty would double? 

Well, the consumer champion refused to answer. His spokesperson told me to ask for a comment from Marston, the very company that issued the ticket in the first place. 

She added: 'Any other positions held by Sam Younger outside of Which? are independent from and not linked to his role at the Consumers' Association.'