A WOMAN said she was left feeling “disgusted” after being fined for parking outside the Blue Cross charity shop in Cirencester, to drop off donations.

Mary Sheppard, 70, from Poulton, dropped off eight boxes of items to the charity but was shocked to be slapped with a £60 fine after parking at the rear of the Cricklade Street shop.

She said: “I was there for 11 minutes and 47 seconds and I had a £60 fine. I took it to the manager of the Blue Cross who said she would deal with it because they had lots of other people with the same problem.

“I understand that the shop rents from the people who own the yard, it’s just crazy. The shop hasn’t got access to the yard. It’s another nail in Cirencester’s coffin and becoming an untenable situation. I was disgusted. How is the shop going to get business if you can’t deliver to the back and you can’t use Cricklade Street after 4:30pm?”

Manager of the Blue Cross store, Sandra Wigley, said the shop had fought the ticket on behalf of Mrs Sheppard.

“While the car park at the rear is private and nothing to do with the Blue Cross, we did apply to the council on behalf of the customer after she received a parking ticket.

“We have heard that the ticket has since been revoked.”

Mrs Sheppard added that the owner of the area at the back of the shop only allows cars to park for limited periods, causing chaos for those wishing to donate items.

The premises of the charity shop is owned by Lionsgate Properties, a property management firm in London, but it is not known who owns area at the back of the shop.

A spokesperson of Blue Cross added that no other benefactors have had any trouble with parking fines while donating goods to their shop.