A Nottingham mother says she was left stunned after receiving a parking fine for an alleged 17-hour stay at a retail park, despite only visiting for ten minutes.
‘Dumbfounded’ by mistaken charge
Nikita Betton, 37, from Arnold, visited the Pound Shop at Springfield Retail Park in Bulwell on December 18. She was in and out in around ten minutes. However, just before Christmas, she received a Parking Charge Notice from operator Premier Park.
The letter claimed her vehicle had been parked at the site from 3.36pm on December 18 until 9.21am the following day – a total of 17 hours and 44 minutes. The fine was set at £60, rising to £100 if not paid promptly.
"I was absolutely dumbfounded," Ms Betton said. "Christmas is hard enough without having a parking fine letter through your door. We go there all the time and have never had anything like this."
Evidence submitted in appeal
The mum of four insists she has proof she was elsewhere during the period cited by the parking firm. She has appealed the charge and provided bank statements showing transactions in other locations to support her case.
Ms Betton also expressed frustration with the appeals process, claiming the only contact number provided requires payment, leaving her unsure how to proceed. She says she has yet to receive a response to her initial appeal.
Part of a wider problem
Campaigners say Ms Betton's experience is not isolated. Hugh Bladon of the Alliance of British Drivers said he has heard of "too many" similar cases and accused parking enforcement of being more about revenue than fairness.
This is not the first issue reported at Springfield Retail Park. Nottinghamshire Live has previously covered cases including a driving instructor fined for practising a manoeuvre and a woman ticketed for a 14-hour stay despite never visiting the site.
Nationally, motorists report a growing trend of fines they deem unreasonable. In a separate case in November 2025, business trainer Christian Wolstencroft, 52, was fined £100 by Smart Parking Ltd for overstaying a 10-minute grace period by just seven minutes at an OK Diner in Leominster. He left urgently after learning his mother was hospitalised, but the firm showed "no compassion" and upheld the fine.
There is increasing frustration that challenging parking penalties, whether from private companies or councils, has become excessively difficult for drivers.
