Not a Smart move

FRUSTRATED . . . Karen Jones with the fine issued by Smart Parking

A FRUSTRATED mum has criticised a parking firm after getting a £100 fine despite returning to her car before her ticket expired.

Karen Jones of Derker is warning other motorists to avoid the Rock Street car park operated by Smart Parking.

Karen entered the car park at 10.46am on July 13 and spent time finding a space and getting her three-year-old daughter ready before buying a one-hour ticket five minutes later.

Karen returned at 11.50am, soaking from the rain and had to remove her daughter’s coat and shoes off before driving off. After waiting for a car behind her to move, she drove out at 11.59am - and two weeks later got a £60 penalty notice in the post. Her appeal was refused - and due to the time between the appeal and the number of days allowed to pay the fine, the ammount jumped to £100.

Karen said: “Pictures are apparently taken on entering and exiting the car park, but you still need to get a ticket. For five minutes I was parking, getting us out of the car and putting coats on. Then I walked to get the ticket and paid for an hour. I was back at 11.50am and I sorted us out and went to drive away but someone was parked directly behind me. I waited and left at 11.59am.”.

A Smart Parking spokesman said: “The car park at Rock Street is very popular and is used by many thousands of people each month — the vast majority of whom do so without any issues. Miss Jones parked for 72 minutes but only paid for 60 minutes so was correctly issued a charge.”