Couple feel 'mugged' after being fined £100 for leaving car park when they couldn't find a space

NHS nurse Steve Cottrell, 63, and his partner Joy, 56, were on holiday in Dorset when they were hit with the huge £100 fine for spending six minutes in a car park

A couple have said they feel "mugged" after they received a £100 fine for spending six minutes and 12 seconds in a car park.

Steve Cottrell, 63, an NHS nurse from Ruthin, North Wales, and his partner Joy, 56, were on holiday in Dorset and hoping to find a space to leave their car during the week-long trip when they hit with the surprise charge. They drove into Weymouth Old Town (West) Car Park, but when Steve walked over to the ticket machine, he said the contact payment system was broken and that the prices were too steep - so he decided to drive back out and look for another spot. When the couple returned home from their holiday, they received a £100 fine from Parkingeye, the company managing the car park.

They claimed the charge was issued because Steve had exceeded the five-minute consideration period by one minute and 12 seconds. The dad-of-two, who said the surprise charge felt like he had been "mugged", wrote to a number of MPs and copied in the Prime Minister after his one-time appeal was rejected. He also wrote a letter to the car park's landowners. But Parkingeye reportedly said there was not evidence the contactless payment machine was broken, reports Wales Online, and that Steve had failed to "provide any mitigating circumstances" for exceeding the five-minute rule.

Steve said: "If there is a five-minute grace period, then I went over by a minute, so I'm being charged £100 for a minute. We didn't even stop there well, we stopped the car but we didn't park there. I don't know whether I am cutting my nose off to spite my face, but I just don't want to pay the money. It feels like I've been mugged. I think five minutes is unreasonable because by the time you've pulled up, got out of the car, made your way over to the ticket machine and read the signs, your time is up and you'll be fined."

Three months later, the company finally agreed to "cancel the charge as a gesture of goodwill". Stev feared the fine would increase before getting passed on to a debt collector and eventually ending up in court. But he stood his ground and refused to pay up. "I'm very reluctant to pay £100 to people who are behaving this way," he said.

A Parkingeye spokesperson said: “The car park at Old Town West in Weymouth is monitored by ANPR camera systems and has 17 prominent and highly-visible signs that give motorists clear guidance on how to use the car park responsibly. Motorists are advised that tariffs apply 24/7 and that they have the option to pay by the machine on site or by the evology payment app.

“The motorist parked in the car park for six minutes without paying, this exceeded the five minute consideration period and therefore led to a parking charge being issued. We would add that our systems show that the machines and the app took normal levels of transactions throughout the day. Parkingeye operates a BPA (British Parking Association) audited appeals process, which motorists can use to appeal their parking charge.

“The motorist did not provide any mitigating circumstances for failing to adhere to the terms & conditions of the car park and their appeal was rejected. The charge was also upheld by POPLA, the independent appeals service. Despite this, we will cancel the charge as a gesture of goodwill.

“We would strongly urge all motorists to pay the appropriate tariff if they exceed the five minute consideration period, which was introduced as part of the British Parking Association and International Parking Community joint code of practice.”