'How stupid can you get?' asks Cambridgeshire couple after CCTV gaffe at Cambridge Retail Park
A couple were landed with the prospect of a £110 fine after being presented with CCTV evidence showing their white car entering a Cambridge car park and a black one leaving.
Malcolm and Julie Creek parked their white Ford Kuga for less than an hour at Cambridge Retail Park, but they have been issued with a penalty charge notice for staying more than five hours.
Total Parking Solutions (TPS) has relied on CCTV pictures that shows the Histon couple’s car arriving and a black Vauxhall with a similar number plate leaving. The couple say they have not heard back from the company since they pointed out the error on November 29.
Mr Creek said they arrived at about 1pm, went to an electrical shop before heading to Marks and Spencer for a coffee and then to Homebase and had driven out the park by 2pm.
The 69-year-old, who worked as Addenbrooke’s assistant estates manager until he retired, thinks many people will be so worried by how high the fines go, which starts at £45 and goes up to £110, at they would pay the fine.
The former Sawston Village College pupil said: “How stupid can you get? The car’s a different colour to start with. I worked at Addenbrooke’s and I worked with all the high voltage electrics and if I got it wrong I’d have killed someone.”
“I think it’s absolutely shocking. My mother would read that and be so scared about the escalation of fines she would pay it and I think a lot of people would. People are trying to go about their Christmas shopping and they get this sort of treatment. I’m sure the retail park will be cross about this. It’s going to put people off visiting. It’s put us off.”
“Total Parking Solutions? More like Total Parking Confusion.”
Mrs Creek, who works at the International Whaling Commission, which is based in Impington, got to the crux of the issue in her letter to TPS.
She said: “The picture of the car exiting the retail park is not my car as it appears a dark car whereas my car is white.”
A spokesman for TPS said: “It appears that in this instance the ANPR camera misread the exit plate by one letter due to the dirty condition of the plate. The two plates were almost identical, as a result of misreading a letter on exit, it was flagged as an overstay by the ANPR matching engine."
He added it was a “very uncommon occurrence” and said: “We are sending Julie and Malcolm Creek our sincere apologies coupled with a £20 high street voucher for them to spend at the retail site for the inconvenience caused in this instance.”
http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/stupid-asks-Cambridgeshire-motorist-CCTV-gaffe/story-25741123-detail/story.html