
Urgent warning as 1000s of drivers slapped with parking fines of up to £170 despite PAYING
DRIVERS are being slapped with fines of up to £170 despite paying to park — because dodgy machines are missing digits off number plates.
Campaigner Lynda Eagan, who helps run a 47,000-member Facebook group, says 'literally thousands' have been caught out by 'sticky keys' and machines that let you pay without completing your plate.
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Dodgy parking machines are wrongfully slapping motorists with fines of up to £170
Credit: Getty
She claimed some devices are 'set up to trap people', while the RAC has called for urgent reform and the return of a scrapped code of practice.
Matt Chambers, 35, was fined £100 in Worksop after Excel Parking claimed he only typed the letter 'B' - a charge he insists is false.
Lee Rogers, 67, got a ticket in Rye when his machine printed just one digit, and 79-year-old Mary Hawken's £170 fine was dropped only after her MP stepped in.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander admitted the system is broken and said the Government is working on a code of practice.
READ MORE ON MOTORS
A spokesperson for trade body the British Parking Association declined to respond to the claims of faulty machines, but said someone who receives a parking charge they believe was issued in error should first contact the parking operator and provide 'all the information that would be relevant for an appeal'.
Police can still give you a fine, so here is everything you need to know about much the fine is and if you can get it cancelled.
You may still face a fine for not having a parking ticket if the machine is broken, but you should be able to appeal the decision.
Most read in Motors
According to Citizens Advice, the
The penalty won't be dropped if there was another, working machine nearby — so ensure you double check before leaving without paying.
Disabled pensioner has hit with £100 parking fine after ticket machine machine was blocked by debris
If you do decide to park, you should take a photograph of the broken machine as you'll need it for your appeal should you end up getting fined.
More than half of drivers have successfully appealed parking fines handed out by local councils, an investigation by The Sun found in 2021.
But be careful, as some car parks will have a sign saying not to stop there if there's no way to pay.
Should you ignore the sign and get a penalty, your appeal is very likely to be rejected.

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The Irish Sun
4 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
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I feel it has turned into an addiction. I've been I'm the last person you'd think is a thief. I work as an estate agent and I've been married for 14 years. I don't have kids myself but I adore my seven godchildren and I volunteer for a homeless charity . My taste for petty thieving started as a teenager, when I'd help myself to the odd lipstick from Boots and a photo frame from a local card shop. I'd dabble in shoplifting if I'd spent all my £10 a week pocket money , but it was rare. For years I stayed on the straight and narrow because I had money, socialised constantly, and loved going to the gym. My life was exciting enough. My shoplifting addiction began completely out of the blue during the Covid 19 pandemic . I'm an extrovert, and the isolation of not working and being in the company of only my husband John, 46, took its toll. Ironically, he works in security at a shopping centre near our four-bed home in a leafy part of Manchester but he had no idea that he'd soon be living under the same roof as a seasoned thief. Greggs will raise prices next week in hikes branded a 'theft tax', as Sun reporters again witnessed brazen thefts across UK It was in April 2020 when I stole a block of cheese from Tesco. I've no idea what came over me – I'd filled my basket and started putting the overflow into my tote bag as I browsed the aisles with the intention of paying at the checkout. But when I reached the tills, I paid for everything else except the cheddar. I'd acted on impulse and whilst I felt prickled with shame, I also felt strangely excited about what I'd just done. It gave me something else to think about other than how miserable and lonely I felt. During my next trip to the supermarket I did it again and it has continued from there. 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If I buy a bunch of flowers I put two in my basket, but scan only one at the self scanning checkout. And I also make sure I've got a basket full of items. I wasn't surprised when I read recently that It's an alarming number yet I'm not alone in my friendship group in contributing to the losses. I've confessed my addiction to a couple of friends - ordinary women like me - and half of them admit they shoplift too. Even the ones you'd never suspect, which normalises what I do. I operate on a policy of plausible deniability – so I can easily pretend it's a mistake and I got in a muddle. Zoe Walters* Shoplifter Years ago a friend told me she was bored with her ordinary life and that she was either going to take up shoplifting or have an affair – I was shocked. But now I understand where she was coming from, and I will always be a loyal wife. I would never tell my husband – he'd be livid - and I was mortified to almost be caught by my mum recently. We'd been to Later, after trying it on, she changed her mind and asked for the receipt to take it back for a refund. Terrified of shoulder tap I had to feign surprise as I looked at the receipt, claiming that it must not have scanned at the till. I told her I'd take it back - but I sold it on Vinted instead. I felt ashamed because I know how upset my mum would be if she knew the truth. And I live in fear of being caught in the act. That tap on my shoulder is what I dread more than anything because the thought of what might happen if I was prosecuted is horrendous. However, like with any addiction the buzz outweighs the risks and for now I'll carry on. Zoe Walters is not her real name