Obama 'fined for not paying congestion fee during UK visit'

LONDON: US President Barack Obama has been slapped with a fine of 120 pounds for not paying congestion charge in London during his state visit to Britain two months back, a media report said.

In fact, the US President was hit with the penalty for his motorcade not paying the congestion fee, British tabloid 'The Sun' reported.

London Mayor Boris Johnson had wanted the 10 pounds congestion fee to be paid for the President's armour-plated limo -- dubbed "The Beast" -- and all other cars during his Obama's state visit in May.

But cameras only managed to photograph one of the vehicles in Obama's motorcade as they were driving so close together. That is the subject of the 120 pounds fine, the report said.

Johnson is understood to have raised the issue with President Obama at a Buckingham Palace banquet during his state visit to the UK.

Foreign embassy staff owe 50 million pounds in unpaid congestion charge fines -- plus 491,000 pounds in parking fines and 566,000 pounds in non-domestic rates.

The US is at the top of the list with a five million pounds bill, followed by Russia on 4.4 million pounds, according to the UK's Foreign Office figures.

The US Embassy said it was not aware of a fine -- and claimed diplomatic rules prevented one being issued.