A supermarket has been forced to cancel its backlog of parking fines after a deluge of complaints from customers.

The Asda store at Brighton Marina has been inundated with calls from angry motorists, many of whom have been sent fines for parking without buying a ticket, some up to 18 months after the alleged breach.

Customers parking at the store have to buy a ticket from pay and display machines in the car park.

When paying their shopping bill in the supermarket they can then get a refund.

From 2003 to 2006, NCP ran the car park for Asda.

When the supermarket chain ended the contract, NCP sold on the recuperation of the outstanding fines to a debt recovery agency called Roxborough.

One elderly man, who asked not to be named, was sent a letter from Roxborough two weeks ago, for parking without a ticket in April last year.

The 69-year-old said he received neither a ticket nor a letter but felt scared not to pay the £80 fine due to the risk of an increased penalty or going to court.

The man's son-in-law phoned Asda on his behalf and was surprised to hear that a number of other people had called in with the same problem.

He said: "The manager told me that they had had lots of calls from people like my father-in-law who had received letters from a debt recovery agency called Roxborough.

"He said Asda were not responsible for it, its parking contractor NCP was and they had sold on the outstanding debts when Asda had terminated their contract with them.

"Kids may have taken the ticket off the car but my father-in-law should have been sent a letter much sooner than he was.

"It's not fair. He felt scared into paying it and so didn't question it.

"I'm quite disappointed with Asda. It's their car park and they had a contract with NCP so they should be doing more to help."

An Asda spokesman said: "We have issued a letter to NCP requesting the cancellation of all outstanding parking fines.

"We have also asked for fines that have already been paid for that period to be refunded and we expect them to be.

"What happened was that NCP sold on the outstanding debts to a debt collection agency called Roxborough.

"Anyone given a fine through our new parking enforcers Town and Country Parking will be sent a letter within a two week period and will get a follow-up phone call as well to ensure that this sort of thing does not happen again."

Paul Flanagan, store manager at the Brighton Marina Asda store, said: "This is not just a Brighton issue, it's a national one."

Both Roxborough and NCP declined to comment.

Were you sent a fine which you queried? Call Sam Underwood on 01273 544539 or leave your comments below.