I was charged £100 for parking because I stopped for lunch – now I want to make sure others don’t fall into same ‘trap’

A DAD is furious after being hit with a £100 parking fine after overstaying for just 15 minutes.

Dean Huddleston, 47, took his family to a shopping centre in Belmont, but didn’t realise a last-minute decision to stay there for lunch would cost him a hefty fine.

Now, the angry motorist is warning other drivers not to fall into the same ‘trap’.

Dean told : “We are not regular users of the retail park, and I had no idea there was a limit on how long you could stay there.

“I suppose I just assumed that as I was spending money in the shops on the site, I would not have to pay for the privilege of doing so.”

Dean claims that a week later, he received a £100 parking charge through the post.

He continued: “We spent a couple of hours in various shops, it was getting late, and the kids were hungry, so we decided to go to a restaurant on the site as it was convenient.

“It ended up taking a lot longer than we thought it would, so we stayed in the car park for three hours and 46 minutes in the end, so 16 minutes longer than allowed, although I did not know that at the time.

“We had been in the car park for three hours and 46 minutes, 16 minutes more than the allowed time. I wrote to Ocean Parking protesting this, but all I got back was a letter saying that there was signage.

“They were not interested in the fact we had spent the whole time shopping and eating in the businesses which the car park services.

“I’ve had to pay but feel this is very unfair.”

However, a spokesperson from the parking firm says that there were dozens of signs around the car park.

They say: “Ocean Parking cannot be held responsible for this, nor is this due to the signage not being visible or clear.

“There were 41 contractual warning signs in place at Durham City Retail Park which stated 3 ½ Hour Maximum Stay, therefore if Mr Huddleston has “assumed” being a customer at this location would exempt him from the parking restrictions in place, Ocean Parking cannot be held responsible for this, nor is this due to the signage not being visible or clear.”

This comes after a pensioner claims that he would go rather to jail than pay an unfair £100 fine.

Plus, a woman was slapped with a parking fine even though the yellow line was faded.