A MAN from Oswaldtwistle was dismayed to have ended up with a total penalty of nearly £400 after a very simple registration error led to a parking fine.

Mark Shea first parked his wife’s car on Silver Street, Bury on October 23 2019, filling in the registration for parking using a mobile app.

However, on returning from a business meeting with a local restaurant he found a parking attendant preparing a ticket.

Mr Shea said: “I went to my appointment thinking nothing more of it.

“I came out from the appointment around 40 minutes later knowing I had 20 minutes left and found a parking attendant at the car, so I asked if he was just checking as I had 20 minutes left on the parking I had paid for?

“He replied that I didn’t have parking, to which I said I did and produced the proof via the app.

“It was then that I discovered that the reg was out by one letter at the end, and I suspected that it was an auto-correct.

“When I tried to discuss this with the parking attendant, he said it was up to me to double check, he wouldn’t be doing anything more about it, and I could appeal if I wanted to.”

Since then, Mr Shea challenged the original penalty of £25, issued by NSL on behalf of Bury Council.

He says that given he had in fact paid for parking, as a point of principle he has not paid what he believes to be an unjust fee.

However, in the time since the fine was issued the amount he owes has grown. It was registered as a debt to the Traffic Enforcement Centre first at around £150 and now to a total of a £393 removal notice.

Mr Shea said: “The response has been that it’s up to you to check it but we went back saying we’re just expecting a normal human response.

“We thought it was over, we moved house and the next thing we know we’ve got this letter of removal.”

He added: “I said at the time, it’s not like we’ve avoided paying for parking, it’s a clerical error and a simple and honest mistake.”

Mr Shea and his wife Joanna have attempted to contact the Traffic Enforcement Centre, but have been told that the organisation cannot comment on the validity of the charge.

Bury Council said it cannot comment, but say that the Sheas have the option of contacting the TEC to file a late witness statement. The NSL has been approached for comment.