A MAN was left angered after he received a parking ticket despite driving out of the car park without parking.

Stephen Owen was visiting Lechlade with his wife and two friends from Exmouth in Devon.

They came in two separate cars.

The group parked one car in the Cotswold Riverside car park, paid for a ticket and drove off in the other car.

He then received a demand for £60, which could rise to £100.

Stephen felt he has been harshly treated and insists he wasn't aware of the possibility that he could receive a fine for simply driving in.

"I don't intend to pay the fine," he said

“I contacted them and appealed and they said I had to pay.

“We were gone within 10-12 minutes.

“It seems if you drive in and can’t find a space, then you are fined.

"I think there should be a 15 minute window allowed, buying a ticket was complicated too.

“We didn’t pick up on it on entry so I can’t really say if it was clear or not.”

“We did a similar thing in Cricklade before and there was no problem.”

“It spoilt the trip a bit.”

Minster Baywatch look after the car park in Lechlade.

They confirmed they offer a grace period of 10 minutes which Stephen appears to have exceeded.

A spokesman said: "The site in question is a Pay & Display car park that is monitored by an automatic number plate recognition system – there are multiple signs on a relative small car park highlighting the systems and conditions in place.

"We as an approved operator of the British Parking Association are required to offer any motorist who enters any of our pay and display sites a grace period of no less than 10 minutes to enter a site, review the terms and conditions of use (as indicated by very clear signs) and then choose to either pay for their visit and remain or leave the site without any consequence.

"On the site in question a grace period is in place and must assume the motorist remained on the site longer than the grace period.

"The site is very small with multiple ways of making a payment - by physical payment, pay and display machine or by phone."