Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.
Father Christmas’s festive visit to Derby took an unexpected turn when he found himself facing a court case over a parking charge. Simon Edmonds, who was playing the role of Father Christmas, had come to the Derbion centre to meet children in a grotto. After parking in the nearby Copeland Street car park, he accidentally entered his vehicle registration incorrectly on the payment machine. This seemingly simple mistake eventually led to legal action by Excel Parking, the company managing the lot, which has sparked significant controversy in the local area.
Simon explained that he was hurrying to pay within the five-minute window displayed on the signage when he realized he had forgotten the last three digits of his number plate. To complete the payment, he input three incorrect digits and later altered them, hoping any parking attendants might notice the amendment. However, the car park relies on automatic number plate recognition cameras rather than attendants, and the mismatch between the entered and registered plate numbers resulted in Simon receiving a £100 Parking Charge Notice (PCN). Despite having paid £4 for parking and keeping his ticket as proof, the discrepancy meant he was fined, eventually leading to a court appearance.
Simon attempted to appeal the penalty with Excel Parking, who declined his appeal but offered a reduced charge of £20 if paid within 14 days—a reduction aligned with the parking sector’s Code of Practice regarding “keying errors.” However, Simon never saw the communication offering this reduced fee, suspecting the email went to his junk folder and noting he never received a postal letter about it either. Because he did not pay the original £100 fine, the matter was taken to court where the judge ruled in favor of Excel Parking, ordering Simon to pay a total of £285.56, including costs.
The wider controversy surrounding the parking charges at Derby’s Copeland Street car park has drawn attention from local MPs. Many drivers have been hit with similar fines, prompting campaigns to challenge the charges and the car park’s strict five-minute payment rule. Derby North MP Catherine Atkinson described it as a “five-minute rip-off charge.” While Excel Parking has defended its actions as compliant with the industry’s Code of Practice, trade association voices like the International Parking Community encouraged drivers to carefully read all correspondence before responding. Meanwhile, the government has launched consultations to introduce a new Private Parking Code of Practice aimed at ensuring fairness and transparency for motorists, in response to ongoing concerns about private parking enforcement
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.