A driver has accused the council of using a car park as a "cash cow" after she said nothing was done to fix an inaccurate parking meter.

Natalie Holden, who works at the College of Haringey Enfield and North East London, spotted the problem after she was given a £65 ticket at Tottenham Green Leisure Centre car park in June.

She claims the time on the meter was seven minutes slow, and the parking ticket was issued when she had five minutes left, according to her watch.

She said: “When I found a parking warden the following day I told him to check his phone and compare it to the time on the parking meter. He admitted it was wrong but just told me to appeal the ticket and the meter would be fixed.”

Three months after the incident, Ms Holden claims the machine is still showing the wrong time, despite her notifying Haringey Borough Council.

Although fines are issued by Haringey Council, the meter is the responsibility of Fusion, which runs the leisure centre on behalf of the authority.

Ms Holden is yet to pay the fine and is awaiting the result of her appeal.

She added: “The council has been fully aware of this situation but has done nothing to resolve it, which could considered fraudulent. They are using those who park there as a cash cow and exploiting people who are unaware the machine shows the wrong time.”

When an Independent reporter visited the car park this week he found no meters showing the wrong time, but one motorist leaving the car park said he had almost received a ticket because of an incorrect meter.

Dominic Hooley, who regularly uses the leisure centre, said: “I was rushing back to my car and I saw someone issuing me with the parking ticket, I confronted the warden and told him the timings were wrong. Once he checked the meter he didn’t give me a ticket but it got me thinking that others might not have been so lucky.”

A Fusion spokesman said: "The parking machines at Tottenham Green Leisure Centre are checked and maintained on a regular basis. We have not been informed of any customers experiencing issues with the machines as a result of the incorrect time being displayed.

"We do however encourage customers to speak to a member of our centre team should they experience any issues with our parking facilities or visit www.haringey.gov.uk should they wish to challenge a parking ticket they may have received."

A Haringey Council spokeswoman said: “The machines at Tottenham Green Leisure Centre are the responsibility of Fusion to operate and maintain and we  would always notify them if we were made aware of any problems.

“We are not aware of any issues with the machines showing a time that is slow. If people do feel they have been issued with an incorrect fine, they can appeal their ticket and we would take all information into account.”