One family were outraged after they landed a £100 parking fine for staying too long in a free car park in town.
The incident happened in Blackburn as the family visited the Peel Centre where they went out for a meal and to watch a film.
It quickly switched from being an enjoyable evening out for Margaret Haydock and her family after they were handed a £100 parking fine days later.
Ms Haydock said to the Lancashire Telegraph: “We’d gone out all together for a nice evening.
“We went to Nando’s for a meal and then we had decided to go and see Mamma Mia 2 in the Vue cinema.
“We had to wait longer than we expected to for a table and it was so busy in the restaurant we waited quite a while for our food, but we were busy chatting so we didn’t mind.”
“We left the cinema having thoroughly enjoyed our evening and didn’t think anything more of it until a couple of days later when I received a fixed penalty notice in the post.
“I couldn’t believe it when I saw it was for £100. It also said that we have gone over the allowed time of four hours by 19 minutes.
“It amazes me that the people running the car park wouldn’t think that going for a meal and seeing a film would take less than four hours.
“I’m sure I am not the first person this has happened to.
“I didn’t even realise that these rules applied in this car park, it will really put me off using it again.”
“I went back to the car park to have a look for any signs warning about the four hour parking limit and there were two small notices at each end of the car park which four-hour very hard to see.”
Ms Haydock contacted both the Nandos and Vue cinema for advice to appeal the fine with Premier Parking Ltd.
In June the new four-hour limit was introduced at the Peel Centre and signs were provided to inform drivers.
Many drivers complained that four hours would not be sufficient time for motorists to enjoy a full day out.
