logo
'Unfair' charges in Pitsea leave drivers 'scared of parking'

'Unfair' charges in Pitsea leave drivers 'scared of parking'

BBC News18-03-2025

Motorists who have used a car park in Essex say they have been stung with charges for overstaying, even though they insist they left long before their three hours was up.Visitors to the retail park in Pitsea, Essex, have questioned the reliability of the automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras.Taryn James was billed for £100 for a five-hour stay, but she said she had been in the car park for less than an hour, and the experience had left her "really scared to park in any car park".ParkingEye, the company that manages the site, said its ANPR equipment was fully operational but it had cancelled Ms James's bill "as a gesture of goodwill".
Ms James, 49, said she arrived at the retail park on 1 November 2024 just before 13:45 GMT and left shortly before 14:30 GMT. She later visited Sainsbury's for 10 minutes at about 19:00 GMT.She said she had used her Google location records as evidence to try to overturn the charge."I've had one ticket in my whole life and I paid it because I was in the wrong that time, but I'm not paying for something that I didn't do," she said.
Another driver, Helen Murphy, said her husband received a letter saying he had parked for about eight hours – something they disputed."Our first reaction was fear," she said. "You think, 'I'd better just pay it'."The couple, who are in their 50s, asked ParkingEye to check its camera, insisting there was no way the car had been there all day.The next communication they received from the company was to tell them the bill had been voided.Ms Murphy said the situation had made her angry "because there will be people who just pay it without question out of fear".
A ParkingEye spokesperson said the car park "features prominent and highly-visible signs throughout, providing information on how to use the car park responsibly".They added: "Our operational data shows that on both dates when the respective charges were issued our systems were fully operational with no technical issues. However, following a review we have cancelled both charges as a gesture of goodwill."ParkingEye won a 2015 Supreme Court case after a motorist from Chelmsford claimed that an £85 charge it had imposed was "unfair and disproportionate".However, although the ruling confirmed that such bills were "legally enforceable", the court added that the company could not charge over-stayers "whatever it liked".The judges wrote that a parking company "could not charge a sum which would be out of all proportion to its interest or that of the landowner for whom it is providing the service".
How do I appeal against a charge?
There is nothing in criminal law to support a charge for parking on private land, says BBC Watchdog's Prof Margaret Griffiths. It is more of a contract – when you park on private land, you are entering into an agreement.The parking requirements you are agreeing to – such as the permitted length of stay – and the tariffs "must be clearly displayed on a notice", Prof Griffiths said, and cannot be hidden or obscured from view. "If all of that's in place and you've breached the terms, then you can expect to be charged," she said.But what if you get one of these notices when you know you were not in the wrong?"You could have a very strong case for an appeal," Prof Griffiths said.She suggests:Contacting the company at the earliest opportunity to tell them that you're contesting the charge. Asking it to provide proof of its case against you. It's up to the company to prove that you breached the contract. It's not up to you to prove that you didn't.Supporting your case with photographic evidence. If the meter wasn't working or the signs were not clear, for example, take a photo.If you cannot reach agreement with the parking company, you can take your case to an appeals service. The parking company must give you details about how to do this.
Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Bomb squad descends on Llanelli street as homes evacuated and roads closed
Bomb squad descends on Llanelli street as homes evacuated and roads closed

Wales Online

time6 hours ago

  • Wales Online

Bomb squad descends on Llanelli street as homes evacuated and roads closed

Bomb squad descends on Llanelli street as homes evacuated and roads closed A 100m cordon has been set up in New Dock Road in Llanelli and residents have been asked to stay away from the area New Dock Road in Llanelli (Image: Google ) Roads have been closed and homes evacuated after explosive experts were called to residential street in a Welsh town centre. Officers from Dyfed-Powys Police carried out a raid on New Dock Road in Llanelli on Wednesday afternoon, before explosive ordnance disposal experts were called in. A cordon has been put into place, with surrounding roads now closed. A man has been arrested. Officers remain at the scene as of Wednesday evening and have put a widespread cordon measuring 100m in place in the area, which is largely residential. Police have asked people in the area to follow the direction of officers at the scene. Stay informed on Carms news by signing up to our newsletter here . A 57-year-old has been arrested on suspicion of offences under The Explosive Substances Act and is currently in police custody. Article continues below A spokeswoman for Dyfed-Powys Police said: "We are carrying out a warrant at New Dock Road, Llanelli. A 100m cordon is currently in place for public safety. EOD (explosive ordnance disposal) is on their way to the scene. Please follow the direction of officers at the scene for your safety." The cordon in place means sections of the following roads are closed: Trinity Terrace Trinity Road Copperworks Road New Dock Road Marged Street Article continues below Residents within the cordon will be contacted by officers directly, police have confirmed. A rest centre has been set up at Llanelli Leisure Centre for residents who have been impacted by the cordon. Police have not expanded further on the incident as of Wednesday evening. The Ministry of Defence - which responsible for the EOD unit - has been asked to comment. Join our WhatsApp news community here for the latest breaking news.

Police warn of counterfeit tickets ahead of British Grand Prix at Silverstone
Police warn of counterfeit tickets ahead of British Grand Prix at Silverstone

ITV News

time11 hours ago

  • ITV News

Police warn of counterfeit tickets ahead of British Grand Prix at Silverstone

Police have warned motor-racing fans hoping to attend the British Grand Prix next month to be on their guard for counterfeit tickets. Northamptonshire Police urged people to be aware of fake tickets being sold on social media platforms and also advised against coming to the event at Silverstone between 3 and 6 July without a ticket. The British Grand Prix is one of the UK's largest sporting events, with over 480,000 people expected to attend and concerts by singers Sam Fender, RAYE and Fatboy Slim. The force said uniformed and plain-clothed police officers would patrol the circuit, campsites and surrounding road network, as well as armed officers, search teams, disruption officers and ANPR units. Live facial recognition technology, which has been used at the grand prix for the last two years, will be in operation again. It scans faces with a camera to match biometrics against those held on a watchlist for posing a danger to the public, such as those who have an outstanding warrant for their arrest. Supt Pete Basham, who will lead this year's policing operation, said: "I would urge people to be aware of potential counterfeit tickets being sold, particularly on social media platforms, and I would strongly advise against coming to the event if you don't have a ticket. "We are working closely with the event organisers, other emergency services and partner agencies as the event approaches, to ensure Formula 1 fans have a safe and enjoyable experience, and that anyone looking to commit a crime doesn't succeed."

Scots schoolgirl, 11, rushed to hospital after being hit by car as busy road closed
Scots schoolgirl, 11, rushed to hospital after being hit by car as busy road closed

Scottish Sun

time14 hours ago

  • Scottish Sun

Scots schoolgirl, 11, rushed to hospital after being hit by car as busy road closed

The road was closed for over five hours ROAD HORROR Scots schoolgirl, 11, rushed to hospital after being hit by car as busy road closed Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A SCHOOLGIRL was rushed to hospital after being struck by a car on a busy road in Glasgow. Emergency services raced to the scene on Firhill Road at around 8.20pm yesterday evening. 2 An eleven-year-old girl was hit by a car on Firhill Road Credit: GOOGLE MAPS The alarm was raised after police received reports of a crash involving a pedestrian and a car. An eleven-year-old girl was rushed to Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in an ambulance for treatment. Her current condition is not yet known. The extent of her injuries is also currently unknown. Cops locked down the road for over five hours to allow collision investigators to conduct inquiries. Photos from the scene show half a dozen police cars swarming the area at around 9pm. A van sat parked in the middle of the road, stopping drivers from accessing the road. Two other police cars were seen in the area into the night as officers stood guard. Blue police tape was also erected around the street, blocking access to the public. The road was reopened again at around 1am this morning. Horse gallops down Scots high street and crashes into car Police have launched an investigation into the crash and have said that inquiries are ongoing. Cops are appealing for anyone with information about the incident to come forward. Any motorists who were in the area and have dashcam footage have also been urged to speak with officers. Police Scotland released a statement which read: "Around 8.20pm on Tuesday, 10 June, 2025, we were called to a report of a crash involving a car and a pedestrian on Firhill Road, Glasgow. "Emergency services attended and the pedestrian, an 11-year-old girl, was taken to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital for treatment. "Road closures were put in place to allow officers to carry out enquiries. "The road reopened around 1am on Wednesday, 11 June. "Enquiries are ongoing and anyone with information is asked to contact police via 101 quoting reference 3450 of 10 June, 2025".

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store