Struggling mum slapped with £100 parking fine despite proving she bought a valid ticket

A mum has been ordered to pay a £100 fine despite paying to park her car.

Rosie Welch, 41, paid £1.30 for an hour-long stay but returned after 15 minutes.

Days later, she was shocked when she received a £100 parking charge notice from Euro Car Parks for failing to input all of her car registration number into the machine.

Adamant she had input all of her number, Rosie sent proof to the firm but it claimed it was a 'breach of contract' and she has been told to pay up.

Rosie, from Colchester, Essex, said: “I haven't got £100, I don't have that money.

Rosie car parking ticket showing only the first two digits of her car registration (SWNS)

“My ticket only has the first two letters of my number plate on it, so the company said it's a 'gross keying error', a breach of contract and I have to pay a £100 fine.

"There was nowhere on the parking machine which said you have to put your full registration number in and nothing on any of the signs in the car park.

"I can't prove I didn't put the whole thing in, but I could prove I had purchased a ticket for the same time my car was in the car park.

"I can only think the machine must have had a printer fault.

“Despite paying for a short parking stay, we've been left with threatening letters talking about debt recovery and court proceedings. I have nowhere else to turn.

"I even took it to the Citizen's Advice Bureau and they said to write to my MP.

"If it came to it and they took us to court, I would have to go to court as I can't physically pay it."

The firm agreed to reduce the fee to a £20 administration charge, but when Rosie decided to appeal that the fine reverted back to £100.

Parking on Private Land Appeals (POPLA) has also rejected Rosie's appeal, and has told her that although she 'demonstrated the intention to make a valid payment', she didn't make one.

A spokesman for POPLA said: "While I appreciate the appellant has demonstrated the intention to make a valid payment, the fact remains they did not.

"By failing to enter the full and correct vehicle registration, the parking ticket is invalid for the appellant's vehicle to park."

Euro Car Parks have been contacted for a comment.