Warning over Ashington car park's rules after pensioner unwittingly accrues hundreds of pounds of fines

Keith Mitchell, 55, says his mum Linda Mitchell, who lives in Pegswood, did not realise there was a time limit on the car park or that, since it is managed by a private company and not the local authority, her Blue Badge did not exempt her from time restrictions.

The car park, located next to the Poundstretcher just off Woodhorn Road, is run by Smart Parking, and Keith said he has found it difficult to contact the company to appeal for leniency.

The company does not have a phone number listed on their website, so Keith said he has struggled to find a way of putting forward his appeal.

According to Keith, his mum racked up £300 of fines by overstaying the 90 minute limit in the car park before letters from the firm arrived.

Linda, 78, then used the car park on further occasions and, as she can occasionally be forgetful, fell foul of the car park’s rules multiple more times and accrued more fines.

Keith said: “I am a bit annoyed that they have ripped my mum off all that money and they have not been lenient at all.”

The car park’s monitoring is done by a computerised system that does not take account of individual circumstances, and Keith has had to pay the fines for his mother as it requires use of the internet.

The fines increase if they are not paid within a certain period of time, so Keith said he felt he had to pay them before waiting for the outcome of his appeals and complaint or risk a higher bill, and also to put his mother’s mind at ease.

According to Keith, Linda is now “completely paranoid about going into Ashington now so she does not bother,” instead going to Morpeth where possible.

He added that it “needs highlighted” that there is a time limit in the car park and Blue Badge holders are not exempt from the rules.

Smart Parking and Poundstretcher have both been approached for comment.