A TRAIN user who was given an "unfair" parking fine at Kemble rail station has won his appeal against the ticket.

Malcolm Dakin, from Cirencester, paid to park at Kemble for two days, buying the permit from a First Great Western (FGW) attendant at the station.

But when he arrived at Kemble station at 1.30pm on January 21, about 20 minutes before his train departed, all the spaces in the car park were full so he left his Land Rover on the side of the approach road to the station.

APCOA Parking, which is responsible for the station car park, said Mr Dakin had broken the rules by not parking in a marked space and issued him a £50 fine that would rise to £100 if not paid within 14 days.

But parking fine appeal adjudicator Parking on Private Land Appeals (POPLA) has ruled that the ticket should be rescinded because there was no signs to informing Mr Bakint that he was breaking the rules by leaving his car where he did.

Mr Dakin, 73, said: “I feel relieved. There was no information from First Great Western, either on the ticket or anywhere else. The fine was unfair."

Since Mr Dakin was fined, signs warning drivers to pay and display have been installed in the station’s car park, but not around the area where he parked.

A spokesman for APCOA Parking said:“While we respect the adjudicator’s decision in this matter, it would seem that common sense has not prevailed on this occasion, as the driver was blatantly parked outside of any marked bay.

"Mr Dakin’s 4x4 vehicle was also causing an obstruction which not only contravenes the terms and conditions for parking at Kemble station, it also poses a notable health and safety risk to any attending emergency services."

However, Mr Dakin said his Land Rover was not blocking the highway and that, because the car park was full, he had no choice but to park in the approach road.

Last month, FGW submitted plans to create a new car park with 333 spaces next to Kemble station.

This followed a petition run by the Standard which called for more spaces at the station, after residents complained that surrounding roads were being clogged up by commuters' cars because the car park was too small.

The plans include the creation of a new access road, a roundabout and a pedestrian walkway off the west side of Station Road.