Nurse given £100 parking fine for not paying quick enough at Shoreham Port

Colleen Wiltshire parked in a bay at the southern end of Basin Road at Shoreham Port when she realised she needed to download an app in order to pay the fee.

It took the 59-year-old from Southwick 16 minutes to download the parking app and register her details to pay for parking.

READ MORE: Disabled couple hit with £100 fine after sitting in car at Shoreham Port

But she later received a fine in the post which said she had "parked without purchasing a valid cashless session" on January 22.

Her car was first photographed at 11.54am and the time of contravention was given as 12.06pm.

Colleen's husband John described the fine as "highway robbery".

He said: "My wife is 59. We're not as adept on a mobile phone as young people are.

"In my view, 16 minutes is not unreasonable, but apparently that breaks the terms and conditions of parking there. That is the time it took her to read the instructions, download the app, register and make the payment.

"She paid and didn't even stay for the full session.

John Wiltshire

"I've gone to the port authority and said can you ask your parking contractors to play fair, but they say they don't want to set a precedent for all fines.

"At least Dick Turpin wore a mask. It's highwayman robbery."

John appealed to the parking company, GXS Services Ltd, and to the Independent Appeals Service, but said both appeals have been rejected.

The 65-year-old said he is prepared to fight any court action over the "punitive and unreasonable" fine.

READ MORE: Walkers slam parking fines and 'unclear' signs at Stanmer Park, Brighton

He said: "It seems incredible - she parked and actually paid for a ticket.

"It really is down to the big boys beating up the little ones.

"There just doesn't seem to be any regulation to stop this going on.

"What is wrong with these people?"

It comes after a disabled couple were fined £100 following a visit to Basin Road in January, in which they sat in the car to look at the sea for 15 minutes with the windows down.

Martin Rowland, 71, and his partner Anne Rutherford, 76, were shocked to receive the Parking Charge Notice in the post, but the £100 fine was waived after they wrote to the port authority. 

SEE ALSO: Brighton care worker challenges 'mean-spirited' £100 parking fine

GXS Services Ltd were contacted for a statement.

Shoreham Port did not confirm the exact time limit which drivers need to pay within before they face a parking fine, but said the grace period "gives a generous timeframe" for people to pay using the Pay By Phone app or a by calling a phone number.

A spokeswoman said: "As with all car parks, when parking on Basin Road a ticket must be purchased within a reasonable time of arriving.

"There is a telephone number displayed on the signage that can be called to purchase a parking session as an additional option to using the app."