A BUSINESSMAN who once declared he had "taken on the council and won" may now stand for the authority he battled against.

Paul Blanchard Jnr, 27, could stand in the Heworth constituency in the City of York Council elections next May after being chosen as a campaign co-ordinator for Heworth.

But seven years ago, Mr Blanchard took a different attitude to the council. In a dispute over parking, he picked up 44 tickets in one of the city's new resident parking zones.

He regularly parked his car in Union Terrace, but continued to park illegally in the street when residents' parking was introduced.

He claimed that when he had parked elsewhere, his car had been broken into.

The authority suspended court action against him after he agreed not to park his car in Union Terrace again.

In total, Mr Blanchard ran up fines of £2,200. In theory magistrates could have fined him £22,000, with a £500 maximum penalty on each ticket.

At the time, Mr Blanchard said he had scored a victory for all with grievances against the council. But residents were angered claiming his special treatment made "a mockery" of parking schemes.

Mr Blanchard said: "I feel I have taken them on and won. It is a grossly unfair system. I was doing it on other people's behalf as well."

Today, Mr Blanchard said he believed Heworth residents would be happy knowing that he would fight their corner.

"Many years ago, when the council introduced a residents' parking scheme near my home, I was involved in a dispute with them on a point of principle," he said.

"I collected some parking tickets and entered into a protracted correspondence about this with the council.

"Between us all, we settled the matter in my favour, and the issue was closed years ago. I am sure the residents of Heworth will feel happy knowing that I am prepared to take the council to task when I believe it gets things wrong."

Updated: 10:57 Saturday, September 28, 2002