'I left the car park 11 seconds late and was hit with a £60 fine'

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

A pensioner has shared her outrage after she received a fine for staying an extra 11 seconds in a car park. Brenda Reed, 78, was visiting Kent from the USA after moving 60 years ago and wanted to revisit Margate’s Winter Gardens with her niece.

But their trip was ruined when Mrs Reed discovered she had parked in the wrong car park and received a £60 fine for overstaying the five minute grace period by just 11 seconds. READ MORE: 'We got a mortgage to buy our first home after years of renting with no credit history' Mrs Reed appealed the “crazy” fine, complaining that the signs at the Lido Car Park are not clear.

ParkingEye who operate the car park say it has 14 prominent and highly visible signs that give motorists clear guidance. Mrs Reed said: “We were just looking for the Winter Gardens and realised we needed to go further up the coastline, so had literally stopped the car, got out, realised our mistake, and drove further up. "It was a nostalgic visit for me and was totally ruined by receiving a £60 fine for pulling in and out of a parking lot. "I felt so sad that the wonderful memory we had experienced, and a walk down memory lane for me, was messed up by the craziness of such a large fine for driving in and out of a car park. "I did not see any clear sign in the car park that something like this could happen. "Signage in the car park needs to be much bigger and clearer, and there should be a 10 or 15-minute grace period before issuing a ticket." While appealing the fine, Mrs Reed and her niece were concerned that the fee might rise to £100 if they didn’t pay, so they paid the £60 upfront.

The appeal was rejected and a spokesperson from the car park enforcement team Parking Eye, which uses number-plate recognition