A DISTRESSED driver claims he had been hit with more than £10,000 worth of “unfair” Dart Charge fines and is receiving more on a daily basis.

Paul Kelly, 52, travelled from Rayleigh to Kent almost every day throughout 2023 for his work as a DJ and children’s entertainer.

However, earlier this month he says he started receiving daily fines and now has more than 150 demanding he coughs up £70.

Mr Kelly claims he has been in communication with Nationals Highways who have told him his account is “frozen” and said they’re investigating, but he is become more and more worried as the fines rack up.

He believes the issue began shortly after drivers were asked to renew their accounts ahead of a new system including pay-as-you go being launched.

He said: “I was a daily driver in 2023, and we were told to review our accounts as they had a new system going in from July.

“The new system took payments out automatically and from July after I renewed it, it began taking money out.

“So, after that, I didn’t think I would need to check it, so was happily going through day after day.

“In January, I got two thick envelopes to start with, and there were almost 20 fines in there.

“I was shocked and speechless. I was so worried. Then the fines kept coming, I am still getting fines every day.”

Mr Kelly immediately checked his account and could see that payments had stopped being taken out in July, and none had been taken since, apart from five payments in August.

He added: “It is £35 a fine, and if not paid, £70. That is between £5,000 and £10,000.

“I could get a large living room and fill up the whole carpet with the fines. It must be a world record.

“It is so worrying though. I contacted them and appealed straight away. They have since said they have frozen the fines and will come back to me within 52 days.

“But this is not making life easy for me. It isn’t a nice thing to go through when fines are still coming. The fines so far are only up to the end of October, so I think I may have another 50 fines to come through.”

National Highways has been contacted for comment by the Echo.