Dart Charge: Drivers receive fines despite never using crossing

For Eleanor Vousden the situation was more complicated because although she lives in Berkshire, she regularly visits her parents in Dartford, Kent.

But when she received a notification to say she had used the crossing on Christmas Eve, she knew it was wrong.

The vehicle pictured was remarkably similar to hers, a silver Honda Jazz, while Eleanor drives a silver Honda CRG.

The number plates were identical except for the last letter, hers is a G, where the last letter on this plate was a C.

She said she had a good experience when she contacted Dart Charge and the crossing fee was dropped straight away.

But she wondered “how often such mistakes occur and whether people do bother to check, if they can’t remember where they were”.