Haringey Council has been criticised for fining people for parking in a doctors’ bay that is no longer in use.

Mary Varatharajah, who works on the reception at J S Medical Practice, received a £65 fine for parking in the bay outside the surgery on Park Lane, Tottenham, and said several other people had also been unfairly penalised.

She claimed the council was acting illegally by continuing to enforce parking regulations relating to the bay, which she said should have been removed.

“It should have been removed when the doctors stopped paying,” she said.

“They are penalising people for something that should have been removed.

“Although there are no valid holders, they are refusing to take the penalty charge off. What they are doing is illegal, because no-one holds a valid permit.

“I have been appealing the fine. The notice was issued on January 30, but I have only just got an official reply.

“For at least a year they [the surgery] have not been paying. They should remove the bay. When I appealed, they should check that and say the bay is not really valid. They are just making money out of people.”

The surgery confirmed that it no longer pays for the parking bay.

A Haringey Council spokesperson said: “This bay was installed as a dedicated doctors’ parking bay and parking in it without a valid permit is therefore currently prohibited.

“Anyone who chooses to park in this bay without a valid permit can expect to be issued with a parking ticket.

“We will check to see whether this bay is still required by the surgery and, if not, will consider removing it. In the meantime, it will remain in operation and a ticket will be issued to any unauthorised vehicles found there.”