A WOMAN is refusing to pay a parking fine as she says cameras that would support her appeal must be faulty or have not been checked properly.

Jo Heasman is now promising to fight the penalty notice and threatening to take Euro Car Parks to court.

Ms Heasman was issued a fine of £45 by the car park management firm for overstaying on the Tybridge Retail Park, off Hylton Road "by 19 minutes and 31 seconds" on April 20. The car park allows a two hour free stay for Homebase, Aldi and McDonald's customers before they have to pay.

But the 48-year-old says she in fact made two visits to the site that day with a friend.

According to the Comer Gardens resident she arrived at the site at 12.20pm, went to Homebase and McDonald's for lunch, before going back to Homebase to buy paint.

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"I decided I needed a colour match and the shop assistant said that if I had some material, she could make the paint up to match the material colour for me," Ms Heasman said.

"I left my friend and drove off the car park at 2.05pm, within the two hours, and went home to get the match.

"I returned and parked on the car park about 20 minutes later.

"I left again at 2.38pm.

"But Euro Car Park has fined me saying it was all one visit - even though two witnesses will testify that I left and went home for at least 15 mins during the period."

When Ms Heasman appealed, which led to her fine increasing to £75, Euro Car Parks refused it saying their records showed she was on the car park between 12.19pm and 2.38pm.

In an email back to Ms Heasman, explaining why the appeal had been rejected, a customer services manager from the firm wrote: "Euro Car Parks have assessed your appeal, this involved checking the ANPR cameras.

"The PCN is outstanding at £75. Failure to make payment will result in the penalty notice being passed across to a third party company where further costs may be incurred."

Ms Heasman has appealed to POPLA, an independent appeals service for Parking Charge Notices, but it has turned down her appeal saying she did not provide evidence of the vehicle being elsewhere during the period.

Ms Heasman said: "I will not be paying the fine - if they check the cameras properly it will show my car leaving the car park and that I was not there for the full two hours.

"This must be happening to a lot of people and they probably just pay it. But it is scam and they just wont listen.

"I am prepared to go to court. I am a very nice person normally, but this makes me angry."

The Worcester News contacted Euro Car Parks but has not received a response.

In 2017, Euro Car Parks was criticised for placing its payment information signs too high on the car park by Terry Wardle, who was given a £75 fine after not seeing them.

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Richard Udall, St John's councillor, said: "Euro Car Parks and other operators make excessive profit from fines issued. "But they have a duty to check cameras and check every fine issued is above board, and responsible.

"And there should be a totally independent ombudsman to determine appeals. At the moment companies like Euro Car Parks are judge, jury and executioner."