I was fined £60 I made a common mistake in a parent and child parking space

A MUM was left “gobsmacked” after landing a parking fine for an offence she did not realise she was committing.

Charlotte, who did not want to give a second name, thought her parking was completely acceptable when she pulled into Deepdale Shopping Park in Preston.

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She had left the front right wheel hanging over the line in what she believed was a designated parental parking bay.

Those bays are designed to give more space to parents with young children, with the specifically designed boxes providing more space between cars.

Charlotte had left the wheel over the line and into the extended box as she had seen others do it before.

The IT consultant also said she had parked slightly over the line to help make even more space on the other side of the car to get her daughter out safely.

But the 40-year-old mother was still slapped with a £100 fine and was stunned when she received the letter telling her so.

She told Lancs Live: “I chose to park slightly into the pink area (about a tyre’s width), so I could get my daughter out of the car safely, from her car seat on the passenger side, and without dinging the car parked next to me on the passenger side.

“I did it for the safety of my daughter and the protection of others’ property, and I was still within the child/parent parking area.”

Group Nexus, who control parking in that shopping centre lot, still issued Charlotte with a fine, leaving her “disgusted”.

She added: “I have since seen many other drivers doing the exact same thing with the parent/child spaces, and I wish to warn people who believe they are doing the right thing.

“I am gobsmacked by the lack of leniency by Nexus with the explanation I had provided, and they have provided no evidence of the terms which outline the pink area is not designated as part of the parking bay.

“The fact they believe this is more important than my daughter’s safety and the protection of others’ property is disgusting, especially when I was not preventing the safety and parking of other vehicles.”

Charlotte was told she would only have to pay a £60 fine if she paid with 14 days.

After unsuccessfully appealing the fine, she felt compelled to pay to avoid a full £100 punishment.

A spokesperson for Group Nexus told Lancs Live: “After careful consideration using clear photographic evidence, the appeal was rejected.

“The motorist clearly parked outside the bay– we would be happy to share the photos for you to see. However, this has now been paid, so the case is closed and no longer eligible for appeal.

“The signage on site clearly advises that the marked bay is defined by white lines and that vehicles must park within the white lines.”

Charlotte is the latest driver to feel like they had been hit unfairly by a parking fine.

One motorist was left “shaking with palpitations” after their run-in with parking authorities.

Meanwhile one man had to face a fine after a mix-up with a cash machine.