MP Faisal Rashid has reaffirmed his anger at the 'unacceptable' Mersey Gateway Bridge tolls after Halton Borough Council (HBC) refused to refund any charges despite a landmark ruling.

The council's refusal comes despite a ruling which said the charges were illegal.

The authority is disputing the findings of a review by transport watchdog the Traffic Penalty Tribunal (TPT), which concluded that five motorists were not liable to pay the toll on the new crossing because HBC had not specified the exact charge.

Earlier this year, a TPT adjudicator found that one driver was not liable to pay the £2 charge and a further 459 pending appeals were put on hold.

The council lodged an appeal and, at a review hearing in May, a different adjudicator, Edward Solomons, confirmed the original decision to allow all five appeals.

He found that the failure to specify the charges 'amounts to a procedural error on the part of the council'.

There were a number of other technical and legal points, he said, that found the charging scheme employed by the council is not enforceable under the Transport Act 2000.

However, HBC says it is 'under no legal obligation' to repay any toll, or penalty paid on failing to pay a toll.

It added that it will not be repaying any toll, or penalty paid.

And Labour's Warrington South MP Mr Rashid has responded.

He said: "Whatever decisions HBC have taken, my position on the issue of the tolling of the Mersey Gateway and Silver Jubilee Bridge remains the same.

"In my view, people are now being charged a levy to use a crossing, which has been free since 1961.

"I believe this to be incredibly unfair and I know it is a real burden for many individuals, especially those in low paid jobs, who will inevitably effectively face a reduction in their earnings below the minimum wage.

"This is, and always will be, unacceptable."