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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Liam Buckler & Emily Davies & Kristy Dawson

Woman slapped with £100 parking fine while waiting in 30 minute car wash queue

A woman was slapped with a £100 parking fine - while waiting in a car wash queue.

Colleen Russell, 69, received the parking penalty from Euro Car Parks despite never leaving her vehicle during the visit.

The pensioner drove to Sutton Court Service Station to use its car wash but on her arrival, was met with a 30 minute queue on June 25.

She said Euro Car Parks, the owners of the car park, have cameras monitoring the forecourt - fining anyone who stays for more than 30 minutes without a ticket.

But the technology doesn't take into account cars using the car wash on busy days.

A week after her visit, Colleen, received a £100 parking fine from Euro Car Parks through the post.

She drove to Sutton Court Service Station to use its car wash but on her arrival, was met with a 30 minute queue (Colleen Russell / SWNS)

Colleen, a retired carer from Sutton, Surrey, said: "I've been going there for over 10 years, and this has never happened before.

"I didn't go in for petrol, and I didn't go in to park - I was just in the queue for the car wash."

"There were four cars in the line so I had to wait my turn to use the facility.

"I'd like to know whether those cars were fined as well as they were also queuing just like me.

"I just think it's so unfair, especially because I'm a pensioner."

Colleen has appealed the decision.

Euro Car Parks, the owners of the car park, have cameras monitoring the forecourt (Colleen Russell / SWNS)

Euro Car Parks has been approached for comment by The Mirror.

The fine comes after a dad was hit with a £100 fine after visiting the same McDonald's twice in one day, the Chronicle Live reported.

Spencer Barclay, 52, visited the restaurant to grab an early morning coffee before work and then returned to collect a happy meal for his son in the evening, but was left stunned when he received a fine.

Spencer, from Benwell, Newcastle, says that after grabbing the coffee from the restaurant in Gateshead's Metro Retail Park, he went to work at the nearby Metropolitan House where he left his car all day in their free car park.

He went back to the same McDonald's at 5pm for his son's meal, but was sent a parking fine from UKPC days later which said he had been parked up at the restaurant for eight hours and 43 minutes.

A spokesperson for McDonald’s said: "We are sorry to hear about this customer’s experience. The car park at our Metro Retail Park restaurant is run by a third party provider and we have made them aware of this issue. We understand that if the customer contacts the provider directly, their case will be considered under the appeals process."

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