Parking fine shock (From Thisisdorset)

Parking fine shock

7:00pm Sunday 5th October 2008 in

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
•  

NO parking, no waiting, no turning, no picking up or dropping off.

Whatever you do, don't drive on to this service area in Poole without authorisation or you could be landed with a £176 fine.

This is exactly what happened to Martyn Brake when he pulled into the Falkland Square service area off Serpentine Lane in Poole for less than one minute to drop off his wife Rocio.

He said he was "shocked" to receive a parking charge notice over a month later from AS Securi-T Limited stating he was parked illegally between 4.07pm and 4.08pm.

"I don't intend to pay it. I am contesting this."

Martyn Brake

Mr Brake, who lives in Blandford but visits Poole regularly, said: "I just couldn't believe it. At no point did anybody come out and say No, you can't be there'.

"It is a narrow lane and it was quite congested behind me so I just pulled off the road, dropped my wife off and then carried on. At no point did I turn the engine off, let alone leave my vehicle there.

"According to the notice I was there for just one minute and they have still sent it out to me and want me to pay the £176."

Mr Brake is one of a number of motorists who have contacted the Daily Echo about the security operation of this car park.

He added: "I can understand it if I had left my car parked in there for over an hour while I went shopping.

"You are not supposed to park in there and you would just have to get on and pay it.

"But when I am sitting in my car having pulled over for a minute and then someone takes a photo of my number plate and somehow tracks me down - I think it's absolutely outrageous."

Mr Brake added: "I don't intend to pay it. I am contesting this. There are ways of beating these people."

A spokesman from AS Securi-T Limited said he was unable to comment at this time.

And a spokesman from the managing agents MB Real Estates said: "We have tenants there who need to gain access to that area for deliveries and the fire escape."

He suggested that Mr Brake should write to AS Securi-T Limited and request photographic evidence.