Northumbria Police say they have records of 16,000 people who have defaulted on payments.

In the next few days they will be sending out letters to the culprits throughout Tyneside and Wearside giving them one last chance to pay up.

And if they fail to take action within two weeks officers will come to their doors and they face a spell in jail.

Magistrates' courts staff will be helping police catch up with the culprits.

Court enforcement staff and the Regional Collection Service will accompany police officers when they knock on the doors of defaulters.

Insp Bill Morris, of the Criminal Justice Department, said: "If you have committed a crime or even forgotten to pay a parking fine then now is the time to pay up."