£100 parking charge ... and I wasn’t parked!

A HUDDERSFIELD Town fan was hit with a £100 parking charge when he was dropped off at a retail park – and didn’t even make use of the car park.

Mark Taylor received a demand for payment from Civil Enforcement Ltd after his wife Caroline dropped him off at the Leeds Road Retail Park on November 4 last year.

The enforcement firm claimed his car had been caught on ANPR cameras exceeding its three-hour free parking limit between 2.06pm and 5.49pm.

But Mark, of Kirkburton, recalls very clearly what happened that day because he’s a Huddersfield Town fan and had been to a home match.

“We remember that day well as me and my youngest daughter, Amelia, went to watch Huddersfield beat West Brom at the John Smith’s Stadium.

“My wife and mother-in-law dropped me and my daughter off just outside Argos shortly after 2pm.

“We got out, went to the football, and my wife and mother-in-law Gill went shopping to the Kingsgate shopping centre. After the football, they came back to pick us up outside the Maplin store just before 6pm.”

He added: “The car entered the car park twice and exited twice, staying for a maximum duration each time of less than five minutes.”

Mark says Civil Enforcement Ltd provided photo evidence but both pictures only showed his vehicle exiting the car park.

His appeals against the charge have been rejected by the company and by the ombudsman, POPLA.

He said: “Strangely, both organisations seem hell bent on ignoring the fact they have failed to provide a photo of the car entering the car park; both show it leaving on each occasion.

“As this was a match-day, I suspect many other people may have been wrongly accused.

“It is worrying when the ombudsman of all people, fails to see the blunder Civil Enforcement Ltd have made.”

Mark has also claimed that he didn’t receive any letters from the company until a final reminder arrived, dated December 13. He has no intention of paying the £100 charge.

Had he received correspondence earlier he may have been able to get CCTV evidence that the car was parked in the Kingsgate car park during the time in question.

“I have been advised that their CCTV footage is deleted every 30 days and as such they are unable to assist.”

Civil Enforcement Ltd could not be contacted for comment.

In correspondence with Mark, the company said: “We have checked our ANPR cameras and we have no record of the appellant’s vehicle entering and exiting the car park more than once on the day.

“The vehicle only entered the car park at 14.06 and exited at 17.49 as shown on the ANPR photographs.” £100 parking charge after being dropped off at Leeds Road Retail Park. He is seen here at the Town play-off final at Wembley. Inset, a warning sign at the retail park