A mum faces a hefty fine after a firm claimed s he was parked outside a McDonald’s restaurant for nearly six hours when she popped in for a quick coffee.
Tracy Stephenson had stopped to buy two lattes at the drive-thru before dropping her partner off at work on February 8.
A week later her partner received a £100 fine in the post from UK Parking Control (UKPC) who claimed the van was outside for five hours and 43 minutes, Teesside Live reports.
Tracy, 40, has appealed the fine, which can be halved if paid quickly, but fears she does not have proof to convince them of her innocence.
She said: "For them to come out with this five hours and 43 minutes - it's absolutely ridiculous.
"I knew I'd come back to Darlington because I had appointments and was making phone calls.
"I doubt they haven't even looked in the time frame of the 10 possibly 20 minutes after we were pictured going in to see if we had left.
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"If I had done it I would have just owned up to it and paid the fine and sulked, but the fact I definitely was not there for that duration is just beggar's belief. I don't know what else I can do, I'm just tearing my hair out.
“It's £50 I haven't got, I'm a single mum - my partner doesn't live with me - and I can't afford it and I refuse to pay it when I haven't done anything wrong.”
Having posted about her experience on social media someone replied she may have fallen foul of the “double dip” camera fault, where automatic number plate recognition cameras pick up the first entrance and second exit which are often hours apart.
Although it is clear she is in the van on the first image, the number plate on the rear of the vehicle on the exit image, taken almost six hours later, is hazy and potentially a different vehicle.
She fears her last hope to get proof she was parked on her drive in Darlington during the time through phone records.
Tracy added: “They have dismissed the fact that I've said I was not there. They haven't investigated it any further on their side and they're just wanting me to pay up.
"I would never use that drive-thru again and I'd be reluctant to use car parks operated by UKPC now.
"I'd never heard of the term double-dip before but I'd posted on Facebook and others who've had similar things happen to them said it's when you go twice in the same day and the camera picks up your first entrance and last exit.
"I can't remember ever going twice in one day. On the images, the first image is clearly my partner and I in the van and the number plate is as clear as day.
"The second one, the number plate is a bit hazy. You can make out the end of it but the start isn't clear and could look like different letters and numbers.
“It's daylight robbery.”
UKPC has been approached for comment.
