Worthing woman's outrage at parking fine "trap"
DRIVER Pam Skelton has described parking conditions in Union Place, Worthing, as an "out-and-out trap".
Furious Mrs Skelton, of Goldsmith Road, contacted the Herald after she drove home with a penalty charge notice incurred when parking outside the McCarthy & Stone development.
"I parked in a bay immediately adjacent to the works site entrance, and there was no visible sign that it was temporarily suspended," said 56-year-old Mrs Skelton.
Outrageous
"There was only a cone by the site entrance, but that's been there previously when I parked there, and nothing happened then.
"It was only when I walked some way westwards along the road that I saw a small sign on a post, saying parking was suspended in the bays either side of the site entrance.
"But the sign was nowhere near the bay I parked in.
"I would hold my hands up and say if I'd parked in a no-parking area, but there was nothing near to indicate this. It's outrageous."
Fine fear
Mrs Skelton added: "You have to walk away from the sign to get to the ticket machine, so there's no way I could have seen it."
She has two weeks to pay a 35 penalty, which will be doubled if it isn't paid within that time.
Mrs Skelton said: "I've been awake all night, worrying about paying the fine."
Clear marking
Mandy Ainsworth, the borough council's parking enforcement manager, said: "Looking at the photos and cones in the location, and the photographic evidence, I would respond that the suspension was clearly marked.
"I would recommend Mrs Skelton follows the appropriate appeals procedure if she feels otherwise."
A Herald reporter went to Union Place, where Mrs Skelton was "booked", and saw a battered cone on the pavement.
The "parking suspended" notice was on a post 11 yards away from where Mrs Skelton said she parked her car.
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Tuesday 14 February 2012
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