March woman ‘gobsmacked’ by £90 parking fine for just over 30 minutes in Lidl car park

Mrs Gray's parking fine letter implying she stayed in Lidl's car park for nearly five times over the free parking duration Archant

A March woman is “absolutely gobsmacked” having wrongly received a £90 parking fine.

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Patricia Gray was sent a civil parking charge notice insisting that her vehicle remained in the car park of Lidl on Dartford Road for nearly five times longer than the allowed stay of duration.

The fine says that Mrs Gray was in the car park for seven hours and 12 minutes last Thursday, however free parking lasts for 90 minutes.

Mrs Gray says she visited at 8.38am and was out by 9am, and returned to the shop at 3.50pm for 10 minutes.

“I picked up a £2.99 Disney puzzle for my daughter, went to work and then in the day thought ‘what a bargain’. So I went back in the afternoon to get some more.”

To complain, Mrs Gray was told to “put it in writing or email the complaints department.

“Surely the cameras should show when I entered and exited in the morning and the same in the afternoon. But I was told that’s not the case.

“It’s very misleading to a lot of people,” she added.

“I’m not going to pay the fine, I’m going to dispute it. But if it was my mum I know she would pay it because she doesn’t know any difference.

“I think a lot of older people would as well because they’re worried the cost would go up. It’s unfair making money from vulnerable people.”

Athena ANPR is unavailable for comment at this time.