His Mercedes car was clamped after he failed to respond to warnings over non payment of the fine.

BBC: Car clamped over unpaid ?60 fine for peeing in Glasgow

Test the idea at one extreme: would this apply to non-payment of a parking fine, say?

ECONOMIST: Daft about drugs

Ah well, says the next reasonable person, you are surely not going to compare non-payment of a parking fine with alleged consumption of cocaine and ecstasy, are you?

ECONOMIST: Daft about drugs

In order to challenge the fine, I was told that I would have to waive the opportunity to use the early-payment discount - worth 50% of the fine.

BBC: Parking - Your Thoughts