Shopping trip ends in parking ticket shock

9:57am Thursday 23rd March 2006

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A PENSIONER couple have won their battle to have an unjust parking fine withdrawn.

Shirley and Ernest Ramsey visited Lidl, in Upper Wickham Lane, Welling, with their disabled son, Trevor, on March 5.

At 2.40pm the family, of Upton Road, Bexley, parked in the car park, where you can park free for an hour but once leaving you may not return for three hours.

They left the store at 3pm, which is confirmed by their receipt, and left the car park around five minutes later.

Five days later, Mrs Ramsey was shocked to receive a parking charge notice in the post, which demanded £75, rising to £150 if it was not paid by March 20.

The letter, from a company known as City Parking Enforcement Ltd, does not have a contact telephone number and the address given is a PO Box number.

It also states the Ramsey's car was recorded as being on the premises of the car park from 11.42am until 3.08pm.

The letter offers no evidence of this allegation and states if payment is not received, further action will be taken.

Mrs Ramsey, aged 71, said: "I was absolutely horrified. It's definitely a scam.

"They're asking me for money for an offence. What offence? For shopping for 20 minutes? My husband has a weak heart and is not even able to get out of bed until lunchtime there's no way we would have been there before noon.

"I did write to the company to ask for photographic evidence of our car being there for this period of time but I have heard nothing at all from them.

"The letter threatens to take us to court but I know in my heart we weren't there for this period of time but they just don't seem to care."

Mr Ramsay, 71,who also suffers from lymphoma, said: "It's the Government's fault for letting our confidential information be so easily accessed.

He added: "We are living in a George Orwell era", referring to the author's predicted Big Brother surveillance state.

After a week of phonecalls and letters from Mrs Ramsey, Lidl have since confirmed the ticket will be cancelled.

A Lidl spokesman said: "When a customer is that upset and has only been in the store for 20 minutes, there has obviously been a system failure somewhere."

City Parking Enforcement Ltd declined to comment.

Your details easily obtained

• With your car registration plate a car parking enforcement company can get your personal details from the DVLA.

• Doubts have been expressed by the deputy information commissioner, who administers the Data Protection Act, as to how the DVLA has interpreted "reasonable cause" when providing these details.

• There is no legislation regulating this type of parking enforcement on private land.