Hayling Island man sees baseless parking fine overturned after months-long 'farce' - as Havant Borough Council apologises

Mark Wakeham of Hayling Island spent months battling Havant Borough Council over a fine he received for allegedly parking his van overnight in a car park. The local authority has now apologised and conceded the charge was baseless.

Mark, who lives near a 24-hour car park on St Mary’s Road, Hayling Island, received a £25 fine on Monday, May 1 which stated his vehicle had stayed for over 24 hours in the free car park.

The rules for using the facility, run by the council, state that drivers may not park continuously for more than 24 hours and there should be a break of at least two hours between stays. According to Mark, he parked his work van there at 10.26am on April 4, then moved it to his driveway - roughly 200 yards away - at 4.48pm. He then returned to the car park the next day at 12.20pm, this time staying until 10.01pm in a different parking space. He was therefore surprised to receive the Penalty Charge Notice, which arrived on Monday, May 1.

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Mark said he submitted detailed tracking information, taken from a device fitted to the van, but was told multiple times there were ‘no grounds’ to cancel the penalty.

Mark said: ‘This was sent in PDF form to Havant Borough council. Then, I got a letter back saying they had received the challenge, on June 14, but “we are unable to accept the challenge at this time.”

‘They photographed the wheels but what does that show? Absolutely nothing.‘

In his communication with the local authority - seen by The News - Mark was told the proof of his alleged overstay was that his tyre valves remained in the same position for over 24 hours.

Mark further claimed that he spoke to somebody from the council who ‘admitted they have never had this problem before because they have never had anyone with a tracker on their vehicle.’

He added: ‘If they have done it to me, how many other people have they done this to? I think it’s disgusting - it’s almost extortion. Things are tough for everybody at the moment. If you’re an old person, you’re more likely to just pay the £25 because it’s easier than doing what I’m doing now. They’re jeopardising my job as well because I’m not allowed to park a company vehicle in a car park overnight because of security.’

After being informed by The News that the fine will no longer be upheld, Mark called the situation ‘a right farce’ said he recieved a letter yesterday saying he would still be charged.

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A Havant Borough Council spokesperson said: ‘Following evidence received from a resident, the case was reviewed by the Parking Enforcement Manager. As a result, the fine will not be upheld.

‘The council strives to deal with all parking queries at the highest standard, with the many varied cases it receives dealt with on an individual basis by specialist officers. In this instance, the fine was not applicable - as a result, Havant Borough Council apologises for any inconvenience caused by this particular case.’