Driver charged £100 after stopping to be sick

A driver who was hit with a £100 parking charge when he needed to stop after being sick has joined others to warn against accidentally entering privately-owned land.

Dave Knight is one of many people who have been charged for entering a car park run by operator UKPS in Broad Oak Drive, Stapleford, Nottinghamshire.

The 50-year-old said signs warning of the charge were too small to read on the approach to the site and he argued there was no leeway time to exit upon realising it was permit-only.

UKPS said in a statement the signage complied with parking industry regulations and a manual check of CCTV is carried out before issuing any parking charge.

Mr Knight, who received the charge in 2023, told the BBC he had undergone stomach surgery a few weeks prior to the incident and had been told by doctors that complications such as acid reflux or vomiting could have serious consequences.

He said his subsequent appeal was rejected on the grounds his brother had left the vehicle to fetch him water to alleviate his sickness, meaning he was deemed to have "parked" there.

On-site signage states that by entering the land, users agree to abide by the terms and conditions, which require vehicles to have a parking permit registered with UKPS.

There is no option of obtaining a pay-and-display ticket to stay on the site.

Mr Knight spoke to the BBC after joining forces with other locals who have received the charge more recently and feel the operator is being unfair.

He questioned why the signs were much smaller and noticeably less bright than those in a nearby council car park.

"That [the council signage] is green and yellow, and the board's about 10ft by 5ft. And you've got this [the private car park signage] which is a little 1ft square sign and the print is so small," he said.

"If you're driving in here, everything would be a fuzz to you on the notices because they are so small."

Martin Leighton, from Beeston, said he received a charge in March for unknowingly entering the land for 70 seconds to drop-off his sister and perform a U-turn.

He told the BBC he would have turned around on the road but there were other vehicles behind him wanting to get past.

Now the 41-year-old is flagging down cars and posting videos on social media to stop as many drivers from entering the land as possible.

"It's just too much money to give away nowadays, it's not fair," he said.

"If it was £25 that's punishment enough, but £60 or £100, no-one's got that sort of money."

"If I had been parked up, if I left my vehicle and completely ignored the legislation, I can understand them being angry and invoicing me.

"But if it's someone just turning around then I don't think that warrants a £100 fine."

Both men and other locals have claimed the operation of the car park violates the private parking sector's Code of Practice, which sets out the rules concerning consideration time and signage for private parking companies.

It was introduced in October 2024 by the two trade associations of the industry, the British Parking Association (BPA) and the International Parking Community (IPC).

Section 3.1.3 (b) states that signs "must be sufficiently large to be visible from a distance and legible on approach".

Section 5.1 (b) and (d) states that drivers need time to "identify and read" parking signs, and time to leave the site if they "decide not to accept the terms and conditions".

But the IPC told the BBC that the Code of Practice's rules on signage were not retrospective and would not be enforced until the end of 2026.

A spokesperson for the car park operator said it "always operated within the letter and spirit of the code" and it managed the car park "fairly".

"At UKPS Ltd, we remain committed to providing a positive and fair parking experience for all motorists using our sites," they said.

"If a motorist believes a Parking Charge Notice has been issued in error, or contrary to the relevant Code of Practice in place at the time, we strongly encourage them to appeal, first to ourselves, and if the motorist is still not satisfied, to the Independent Appeals Service (IAS)."

Regarding the claims that its signage was inadequate, UKPS said that it was "compliant with the code".

Furthermore, the company said that five minutes was allowed for a motorist to read the terms "as laid out in the Code of Practice".

However, the latter point is disputed by Mr Leighton who stated he was on the site for roughly 70 seconds.

UKPS said the car park may offer a pay-and-display option in the future.

"We have listened to the concerns raised by the community and understand the wider parking challenges faced by commuters and local residents in Stapleford," the spokesperson said.

"In light of this, UKPS Ltd has passed on this feedback to our partners, who are actively working on plans to convert the site into a Pay for Stay car park to better serve the local community.

"This change is intended to offer a more flexible and accessible solution for those who need short and long-term parking in the area."

Mr Leighton and Mr Knight said they have both paid their charge but would continue to raise awareness of the fact that the land is privately-owned and requires vehicles to have a valid permit.

Mr Leighton said videos he has posted on social media about the car park have received 50,000 views.

"I don't want little old ladies to turn around in that car park and get fined for someone sat watching a camera," Mr Leighton said.

"I'd like the see two signs on either side as you enter this car park."

Derek Millard-Smith, a specialist lawyer in the UK parking sector, said parking on private land was generally governed by contract law.

He said PCNs were "a contractual debt" that could ultimately be pursued through the civil courts and result in a County Court Judgement, which can affect your credit rating.

He urged anyone who believes they have wrongly received a PCN to appeal against it, either through POPLA or the Independent Appeals Service (IAS).

POPLA is the appeals service for PCNs issued by car park operators that are members of the British Parking Association (BPA).

The IAS is for PCNs issued by members of the International Parking Community (IPC), which includes UKPS.

Additional reporting by Caroline Lowbridge

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