House of Cards ready to fall?

Sunderland City Council are now under serious pressure. The Newcastle Journal's reporters were working late last night pulling the story together...front page to follow shortly. Sunderland Echo runs front page as well.

Sunderland Council have been forced to admit that they do not have any traffic orders in place for the taxi ranks in the city...and also admit that they will have to pay back the money to the motorists.
Only 700 though.
Only 21,000 though.
Well, that is just the start of their problems and here is why.
They are aware that they accrued this money unlawfully...and if it is in their accounts then the accounts cannot be signed off.
...also, they have misled the Secretary of State by telling him that all the traffic orders were correct and in place in order to initiate the Special Parking Area Order which created the decriminalised regime.
I am reliably informed that Sunderland Council are not actively looking to refund the money...in fact one of the officers said "How do you expect us to find the person who sent us a cheque?"
Quite simple.
Cross reference the ticket with the registered keeper details! That is what they do when they send the tickets out.
What a mess!