Drivers from across the UK have received fines for unpaid journeys on the Dartford Crossing despite never having been there, the BBC has learned.
The issue seems to be caused by Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras wrongly identifying vehicles with similar licence plates.
It follows a BBC East Investigation into problems with the Dart Charge system caused by switching to a new provider in July 2023.
National Highways said: “In a minority of circumstances penalty charges are issued in error. Where this happens, the charge will be cancelled as soon as a customer contacts us to let us know they are not the registered keeper of the vehicle."
'I live hundreds of miles away'
Anne Marie Kenyon, a deputy headteacher from Bury, Greater Manchester, got two fines in the post, one in April and a further one in June this year.
She was confused because she has never used the crossing.
Her licence plate begins DV and on the first occasion the vehicle using the crossing had a number plate with DY at the start; the second time the plate began with OV.
Ms Kenyon said on both occasions the photos provided on the penalty charge notice were "quite blurred and hard to read".
The first fine was easy to deal with because it was during the Easter holidays and she was able to phone the helpline straight away.
The second was more difficult and she found it "so frustrating" to try and clear her name and felt "the way [she] was treated was poor".
Although both fines were cancelled she said she is now worried about whether it will happen again.
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