Harrow Council is potentially collecting hundreds of thousands of pounds in driving fines at a single bus stop – and one woman wants people to be aware of the risks.

Angela Barrett, from neighbouring Barnet, was sent a penalty charge notice (PCN) when she pulled in at the bus stop by Rayners Lane Station in August.

She claimed she was there for “no more than five seconds”, dropping off her training partner and was disappointed to receive a fine for her actions around a month later.

The Thames Valley Harriers athlete put in a Freedom of Information request, which showed that Harrow Council issued more than 2,000 PCNs at the stop in 2017.

It handed out a further 1,400 tickets up to September 24 this year.

It means, if each person is charged the full amount of £110, the council could be raking in hundreds of thousands of pounds from this hotspot.

Ms Barrett believes the whole situation needs changing; suggesting that the warning sign is too small and too far away, and there are no other alternatives for stopping.

“It’s a ‘double’ bus stop after a taxi rank so you struggle to see the sign telling you that you can’t stop there,” she said.

“I can’t believe you aren’t able to stop for just a few seconds. It’s not causing obstructions or interrupting the traffic flow, but it clearly generates a lot of money.

“There’s not really anywhere else to drop people off, other than the middle of the road, and the area has a tricky one-way system.”

She added that the fine – at around £10 per second in her case, since she was charged the reduced amount of £55 for quick payment – is disproportionate to the infringement.

“I don’t think it’s right that they can charge so much for something that is relatively minor,” she said.

“It makes me think that it is a way for the council to make some extra money – people need to be aware of this because they could easily end up getting caught.”

Harrow Council did not comment on the amount of money raised but said the regulations around the bus stop were clear.

A spokesperson said: “The law about stopping in bus stops is exactly the same everywhere in London – you can’t do it.

“The warning signs are clearly put up and the rules are clear – vehicles other than authorised buses who stop at bus stops risk getting a fine.”