I was fined for leaving car in a car park even after I left… before I figured out the ‘flaw’ in number-plate system

A DRIVER has told how he was fined for leaving his car in a carpark even after he left - before claiming he uncovered a flaw in the automatic number plate system.

Paul Hindson says he couldn’t understand why he received the fine from Copt Oak Court car park in Narborough - until he figured out the “flaw” in its system.

Earlier this year, he was shocked to be told he would be charged for parking his BMW 320 overnight - but he insisted he had left before nightfall.

And when Paul, who live just minutes away from the car park, tried to appeal the decision it was rejected.

However, everything was made clear when Smart Parking sent him “evidence” of his parking overnight.

Paul claims he was shocked to see that documents he was sent showed him going in numerous times - without ever coming out.

During one period his car is seen going in 20 times without ever leaving. Then from October 20 2020, he enters without leaving until April the following year.

However, when he brought this up he was still forced to pay out £136 to stop a collection agency paying a visit.

Paul told : "After you get fined the amount goes up and up as time passes and I had to pay £136 because they were involving a debt recovery business.

"I obviously knew all along there was no way I'd left my car in the car park but this system was clearly unreliable.

"Then they sent me the log with my car entering their car parks and clearly it was being seen going in and not seen going out so there are ins followed by ins and outs followed by outs. It's ridiculous.

"They have now agreed to pay the money back but I worry about how many other motorists have been fined because of this rubbish system."

A Smart Parking spokesman said Paul's fine had been cancelled "as a gesture of goodwill" and that the company no longer ran the car park in Narborough.

He said: "Although Smart Parking no longer operate this car park, when we did thousands of motorists used it every week and the vast majority of them had no issues using it.

"Smart Parking are proud members of the British Parking Association (BPA) and strictly follow it guidelines. 

“As part of this we operate BPA audited appeals service. In the case of Mr Hindson he did appeal and we investigated his case and ultimately cancelled his charge as a gesture of goodwill."