ANOTHER parking fine has been received by a Launceston Retail Park visitor, who says the numberplate cameras wrongly recorded them as staying on the site overnight.

But the company that issued the fine responded to the Post the same day to confirm the fine was wrongly issued, has been cancelled, with a letter of confirmation in the post on its way to the driver.

The Post has previously reported on shoppers receiving fines from ParkingEye in the mail, stating they must pay £100, or £60 if paid within 14 days.

While some have been caught out by not being aware of the current three-hour parking limit on site, others have made return trips to the site in the same day, and while not exceeding the three-hour limit, the cameras have seemingly not recorded them leaving the site, so have recorded one long stay.

However, Perdi Sobey, who farms near St Giles, visited the new M&S Foodhall on the evening of December 9 and returned home before visiting the retail park again on the morning of December 10. She received a fine in the post from ParkingEye stating she had been parked there overnight, for nearly 17 and a half hours.

She said: “It’s just bonkers! They seem to think I sat in the car park for 17 and a half hours. It’s unbelievable.

“It’s clearly a mistake and I think people really need to know that that is what’s happening.

“It’s so lovely to have M&S but to get a £100 fine in Launceston is ridiculous.”

A spokesperson for ParkingEye said: “We’ve looked into the case. They weren’t there for the 17 hours. They have gone in, come out and gone back again.

“Unfortunately, occasionally it happens where the system doesn’t pick it up. The charge has been cancelled and a letter has been sent out to confirm that.

“There is a contact number on the parking charge. That number is an automated number. There is an option to talk to an account manager, where you will get through to a member of the admin team.”

The spokesperson said the notice also outlines how to appeal in the post or online.

“If you send that in you can show evidence you haven’t been there for that time,” he added.

Liberal Democrat Cornwall Councillor for Launceston South, Jade Farrington, said recently: “People have been contacting me an awful lot about Launceston Retail Park. I met with Savills on site. They are extending [the parking limit] to four hours and putting up more signage.”

Cllr Farrington said Savills manages the retail park on behalf of owners LondonMetric and said after meeting representatives that they were ‘very positive and keen to help’.

Writing on her Facebook page, Cllr Farrington added: “If you have received an unfair fine from ParkingEye because you’ve accidentally over-stayed the time limit or you’ve visited the retail park twice in one day and the cameras have erroneously recorded this as one long visit then please message me with your name, email address, PCN number and the full circumstances and I will pass this on to Savills so your fine can be cancelled.”