Dad given nasty £125 parking surprise after taking son to Laser Quest birthday party

Keith Williams, 38, got a nasty surprise a month after he took his son to Laser Quest at Pride Park in Derby

A furious Derbyshire dad was wrongfully slapped with a £125 fine after taking his child to a birthday party - before the car parking company U-turned. Keith Williams, 38, drove his son to Laser Quest at Pride Park in Derby on July 6, but was given a nasty surprise a month later.

Mr Williams, who lives in Ashbourne, was told by car park operator Parking Eye that he had overstayed his welcome and would have to pay a £100 fine and a £25 late payment charge as a result. He explained the car park signs said he was allowed two hours for free and then a further two hours after registering his car with the business, but Mr Williams' claimed his initial appeal was rebuffed despite not breaking these restrictions.

"I was told if I put my registration on the clipboard then I would get four hours free," he said. "Then I left and got the letter, they told me to follow these directions to appeal the decision.

"I heard nothing back for a month so I assumed it had been dropped. They then sent me another letter stating I was late to payment, but on the reply form there is no space to appeal the decision."

"You can't appeal it, you can't do anything else, all you can do is pay it. All you can do is state that you can't pay if you are in debt."

After being approached by Derbyshire Live, Parking Eye dropped the fine on Wednesday, October 9. Mr Williams expressed his frustration with the car park operator after it backed down, adding: "If there was a person responding to the appeal and someone who could answer the phone it would make this a lot easier.

"If I was an anxious person I would have paid the charge with all the letters, but I had all the supporting evidence so I didn't want to drop it. It's just ridiculous that it went through all those appeals and yet it's only now been dropped. It just makes me think if I took it to court would they have just dropped it?"

Mr Williams expressed his belief that most drivers would have paid without challenging the fine. A spokesperson for Parking Eye said: “The car park at Pride Park Retail Park features 20 prominent and highly-visible signs that give motorists clear guidance on how to use the car park responsibly, including guidance on how to register for additional two-hour free parking. Upon review of the motorist's case, the parking charge has been cancelled."