A man, who abandoned his car on a street in the town, has been landed with a £570 bill.

Adrian Luke, 46, of Kenilworth Way, Banbury, admitted unlawfully abandoning a car in the car park of St Joseph’s Church, in Edmunds Road.

Banbury magistrates were told Luke ditched the untaxed Rover 416 in July last year.

It was removed by Cherwell District Council, which also issued a fixed penalty notice to Luke and stored the car for a month before it was destroyed.

Banbury Magistrates fined Luke £200 and ordered him to pay £250 costs, recovery fees of £105 and a victim surcharge of £15. George Reynolds, Cherwell District Council’s executive member for environment, recreation and health, said: “We have a zero tolerance policy on abandoned vehicles and the people who dump them.

“The council will take all measures possible to advise owners of the need to remove vehicles, but ultimately dumping a car can lead to court.

“There is no need for this kind of behaviour and we won’t allow people to despoil the district in this manner.”