The son of a Scottish boxing legend says he’s been floored by a fine for ‘delaying’ his exit from an Ayrshire car park.
And now the son of the late, great British and Commonwealth featherweight champion, Evan Armstrong, who hailed from Tarbolton, is reeling following an increased fine of £160 for ‘non payment’.
Evan Armstrong jnr, 57, from Dailly, is being chased for money he says doesn’t owe – after using the Boswell Park car park in Ayr.
And he’s not backing down after the company that runs the facility decided to pick a fight with the Ayrshire production operator.
He told Ayrshire Live: “Me and my wife got a voucher for Christmas and we went for a meal at Treehouse, Ayr. I put my registration details in and paid it with my card.
“I have proof that I paid £1.50 on my online banking app. A few weeks later I received a letter from Workflow Dynamics saying I hadn’t paid the appropriate amount. I was asked to pay £1.50 and that’s what I paid.
“They are now pursuing me. First they wanted £60, then they wanted £80, then they wanted £100.
“Now I have a letter from a collections agency demanding £160 off me!”
Evan offered to pay an extra 50p to bring the matter to a close but the company has rejected it.
He revealed: “They said I sat there for 21 minutes after I had paid for parking, that’s ridiculous! It was the 30th of April and it was pouring with rain. We ran from the Treehouse to the car park. There’s no way I would have sat there for another 21 minutes in the pouring rain – after initially paying for it beforehand.
“Three or four weeks ago there was another driver who was being chased for £160.
“I know there was a problem with their software between April and May because their director admitted it.
“I’m 57, but I'm not a dafty, or a weakling. What about elderly people? Or the infirm? They could be getting pressured into paying too.”
Ayrshire Live previously flagged up stories of drivers being handed fines ‘in error’ at the car park with the firm in charge admitting there have been “IT issues” and pledged to resolve them.
But a spokesperson for Workflow Dynamics, who run the car park, said: “Due to data protection, we are unable to confirm the specifics of this notice.
“I can confirm that all processes have been followed correctly according to the BPA code of practice. The driver has had the opportunity to appeal with us and POPLA (an independent appeals service for Parking Charge Notices issued on private land), and they have received letters detailing each stage and how it will progress.
“Parking at Boswell Park car park must be paid for upon entry for the time you expect to be there. Further parking can be purchased if you exceed this. This is listed on the signage within the car park.
“If the motorist would like to discuss this any further, they can contact us directly.”
Evan Armstrong snr was known as the ‘Titan of Tarbolton’ and is revered in Scottish boxing circles – with a 54-fight professional career between 1963 and 1974, during which he notched 39 wins.
As British and Commonwealth featherweight champion, Evan reigned supreme for four years. He sadly passed away in 2017.
Don't miss the latest Ayrshire headlines – sign up to our free daily newsletter here
