You have to pay 100 pounds for 25 minutes stay in Lincoln car park

A man who claims his car was left in a car park for just 25 minutes has been fined £100 by a parking company who claim it was there for five hours.

Ian Ellis, 51, was in Lincoln grocery shopping on June 6 when the incident occurred.

He and his partner entered Tritton Road Retail Park at 9.18am to go to Halfords to pick up a click and collect order.

On that occasion, he claims he was only in the parking lot for five minutes on that occasion.

The couple then left the car park and visited nearby Branston to see family before then visiting the Nosy Parker Pub.

They then made a return trip to Tritton Road Retail Park at 2.30pm to stop by Home Bargains. Ian claimed the car was only parked for a maximum of 20 minutes.

But two weeks after visiting the retail park, Ian, who lives in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, received a letter in the post saying he had been fined £100 for staying in the car park for five hours.

Responding to dismay at the letter, which was posted on June 11 and received five days later, he said: “I couldn’t believe it when I saw it and I will not pay for it.

“The letter said I could appeal the fine, but there’s nothing I can appeal, I just won’t pay.”

Tritton Road Retail Park is home to businesses like Pets At Home, Starbucks, and Oak Furnitureland, none of which own the parking lot.

The car park at Tritton Road Retail Park is managed by UK Parking Control (UKPC), who have not responded to a request for comment in time for publication.

UKPC states on signs in the retail park that drivers are not allowed to leave the premises and are allowed to park for a maximum of three hours.

Ian said: “There is indeed CCTV footage of me in the car park at the Nosy Parker as UKPC claim I was in Tritton Road so the evidence is there but the ball is in their hands now.

“I will not be appealing and have just told you that if you want to go further, you can go to court.

“Going to the pub and signing forms to get the CCTV footage to win my appeal will cost me time and money. So if they want me to do that I charge them an administration fee of £250.

“It’s not just happening to me, and it seems to be having an impact on the number of deals that deals actually get there.”

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