Parking firm admits '˜error' over couple's fine

John Warner used the private car park behind the Sun Inn on West Bars with his disabled wife Wendy on Wednesday September 21.

A week later he received a letter from car park operators ParkingEye saying he owed them £60.

John, 77, said: “I don’t use the car park very often - my wife was meeting some friends at the Portland car park but their spaces were full that day.

“She is in a wheelchair from a broken leg that still hasn’t repaired since 2014 and she has a stoma as well, so we couldn’t park any further away than we did.

“The machine said it wasn’t in use so I couldn’t get a ticket - I have a photo which clearly shows it was broken.

“I went back on October 4 to check the machine and it was still broken so there must have been lots of people in the same position.”

The letter John received says he owes them £60 but it would go up £100 if he didn’t pay within 14 days. The company might even take him to court, the letter stated.

“I have written to them and sent them the photo but I haven’t heard anything from them at all,” says John.

“I’ve also been on the internet to try to find out how to fight ParkingEye fines but you don’t know whether its true or not.”

But after the Derbyshire Times contacted ParkingEye, they said that Mr Warner’s ticket had been issued in error and that others who had received letters after parking there would also be having their fines cancelled.

A ParkingEye spokesperson said: “Unfortunately, Mr Warner was issued a parking charge in error and we apologise for any inconvenience caused.

“The charge has been cancelled and a letter of confirmation has been sent to him. Any other parking charges issued in error have been cancelled and letters have been sent to confirm this.”

Do you have a problem you’d like us to sort out? Email [email protected].