A bungling parking firm has apologised after it wrongly sent a £100 penalty charge to a woman for parking in Inverness – when her car was nearly 90 miles away.

Kate Moorcroft, who lives in Inverurie, was slapped with a hefty fine for parking in the Strothers Lane car park, in Inverness, which is 88 miles away from her house.

To make matters worse the fine showed different vehicles entering and exiting the facility – a van and a car.

The mum-of-two was charged by Perth-based parking firm Smart Parking for parking on September 27.

The 47-year-old dinner lady said she hasn’t been in Highland capital in a number of years and didn’t have a clue where the fine came from.

She said: “I received a letter through the post last Saturday about parking in Inverness. In the letter it showed a red 4×4 car, which I think is a Subaru, and a red van.

“I don’t own any of those vehicles.”

Kate drives a blue Dacia 4×4 and thinks the error may have come due to a letter mix-up. “The number plate on my car is SV66 WBT and the number plate on the Subaru is SW66 WBT so maybe that is the error,” she added.

“I don’t have a clue why the van has been included in the letter I got. As soon as I got the letter through the door and saw the error I appealed it with the company.”

The Evening Express also contacted Smart Parking regarding the error.

The firm apologised and has since cancelled the charge of £100.

A spokesman for Smart Parking said: “We have written to Ms Moorcroft and have cancelled the charge as it was sent to her in error.”

Kate was delighted at not having to pay for the parking fine.

She said: “I have to thank the Evening Express for contacting the company as they hadn’t replied to me, so thank you for that.”

“It was really strange to be given the fine but I am glad it has been resolved now,” she added.