A 69-year-old man has become the latest victim in a long line of motorists to be handed a £100 fine after visiting East Midlands Airport’s BP garage.
Paul Hayes, from Ratby Leicestershire, has expressed dismay about the fine that was levied after he says he stopped to fill his car with petrol at the airport and went into the shop afterwards.
‘I had filled up the car with petrol and we went into the shop,’ Hayes said. ‘I came out and moved forward, to let the person behind me in, because they were queuing. My passenger came out about two minutes later, and someone in a van had taken a picture of me getting in the car.’
Paul Hayes, from Ratby, in Leicestershire, (pictured) said he received a £100 parking fine for filling his car with petrol and visiting the garage shop
It was later that day he said he received the £100 parking fine.
‘I wasn’t parking up at the airport, so basically they’ve had me for filling up petrol,’ Hayes said.
‘This is ridiculous, I’m very angry, a couple of years ago I had a heart attack and a cardiac arrest, I’m supposed to stay calm but this isn’t helping me,’ he added.
Hayes had used the petrol station as it was the nearest after going out for a meal with a member of his family in July.
The parking fine was issued by a company called Vehicle Control Services Ltd (VCS Ltd).
Hayes said an initial appeal against the fine was rejected. The charge was later dropped.
The Prax Group, which owns the petrol station, said the behaviour of some motorists was having a ‘negative impact on the business’ and defended issuing fines for those picking up or dropping airport passengers at the station rather than paying to use the airport car parks
A spokesman for East Midlands Airport said: ‘Parking or waiting on roads across the airport estate has always been prohibited. ‘While this was previously indicated by double yellow lines, all roads are now red-routed and are enforced by a third party organisation. ‘The same compliance company also has a separate agreement in place with the petrol station,’ the spokesman added
A spokesperson for VCS Ltd said: ‘Mr Hayes’ vehicle had stopped in a prohibited ‘no stopping’ area of the fuel station. ‘However, after reviewing the circumstances we have accepted his appeal.’
Hayes is by no means the first to be handed a fine following a visit to the airport’s BP station.
Earlier this month Louise Stevens, 54, from Littleover, Derbyshire, told the Daily Mail how she’d parked at the petrol station for two minutes so she could get a quick bite to eat.
She claims she went to the short stay car park to pick up her daughter and her friend who had been on holiday in Portugal.
Stevens said she was shocked to receive a £100 parking bill through her door for ‘stopping at a zone where stopping is prohibited’.
The 54-year-old said she parked in an area which had no red lines or signs next to it.
CCTV images on her letter from Vehicle Control Services Ltd show her car parked near double red lines, but not on or next to them.
‘I was literally a few minutes in the petrol station and parked in the only place I could see there were no red lines, however they are saying I am parked illegally. This is just daylight robbery,’ Stevens said.
‘This petrol station is profiting from innocent people and should be held accountable. How can you possibly issue fines to customers of your business?’ she added.
Paul Hayes is by no means the first to be handed a fine following a visit to the airport’s petrol station (pictured).
A spokesman for Vehicle Control Services Limited, which issued the fine, said: ‘We would advise Ms Stevens to utilise our appeals procedure so that her circumstances can be fully and appropriately evaluated, details of how to appeal are set out on the reverse of the Parking Charge Notice.’
On July 11, Sharon and Geoffrey Palmer, both 69, stopped to fill their car at the airport’s petrol station before being dropped off at the rapid drop-off zone, where their daughter drove the car home.
However, on their return from their week-long holiday in Salou, Spain, they were horrified to find a £60 fine, rising to £100 if left unpaid.
Earlier this month Louise Stevens, 54, from Littleover, Derbyshire, (pictured) said she’d parked at the petrol station for two minutes so she could get a quick bite to eat
Gordon Jackson from Chellaston and Tajdar Kamal from Normanton were also fined after they were seen picking up airport passengers in their cars from the garage.
Kamal has called for the station to be shut down and says he has been left so annoyed that he will no longer pick up his friends from the airport after he received a £100 bill.
Earlier this month, Ruth Pickering, from Clifton, Nottinghamshire, told the Daily Mail she would refuse to pay her fine.
Pickering said her 22-year-old daughter had left arrivals to find her at the petrol station. She helped her daughter put her suitcase in their car before driving away.
The couple, from Beeston, had actually driven from The Fuel Station (pictured) to the airport’s designated drop-off zone, where they paid £3
‘I was intending to go into the car park but my fuel was low so I thought I would go to the garage,’ she said.
Her daughter couldn’t see the car outside the arrivals gate so called her father who then directed her towards the petrol station, Pickering added.
Just two weeks later Pickering was sent the enforcement notice and her appeal was later dismissed.
She added: ‘I was using the facilities. I am not just sitting there at the petrol station. I am absolutely furious. People are struggling for money to go on holiday anyway and then to add on this.’
77-year-old Terry Tunnicliffe was left angry after he was sent a £100 fine for dropping off at East Midlands Airport petrol station. (Pictured with his fuel receipt)
77-year-old Terry Tunnicliffe complained to Vehicle Control Services Ltd after he received a fine at the airport after stopping for petrol at the same time as dropping a passenger off.
In response to Mr Tunnicliffe’s complaints a representative from VCS Ltd said: ‘There is signage at the fuel pumps warning motorists that there is ‘Strictly No Drop Off or Pick Up at the Fuel Pumps.’
‘By his own admission, Mr Tunnicliffe dropped off an airport passenger whilst refuelling. ‘Should he chose to do so, Mr Tunnicliffe has the option to utilise our appeals procedure, details of which are set out on the reverse of the Parking Charge Notice.’
Tajdar Kamal from Normanton has called for the station to be shut down and says he has been left so annoyed that he will no longer pick up his friends from the airport after he received a £100 bill (pictured above)
The Prax Group, which owns the petrol station, said the behaviour of some motorists was having a ‘negative impact on the business’ and defended issuing fines for those picking up or dropping airport passengers at the station rather than paying to use the airport car parks.
‘In order to avoid paying to park, some passengers and taxi companies are using the airport filling station, located approximately 100 yards from the terminal, as a pick up and drop off point,’ a spokesperson said.
‘Increasingly, this is having a negative impact on the business, which can no longer be ignored. ‘Additionally, there is a serious health and safety concern, as the backlog of traffic onto the main road could potentially hinder the emergency services,’ the spokesperson added.
The parking fine was issued by a company called Vehicle Control Services Ltd (VCS Ltd). Paul Hayes (pictured above) said an initial appeal against the fine was rejected. The charge was later dropped
A spokesman for East Midlands Airport said: ‘Parking or waiting on roads across the airport estate has always been prohibited. While this was previously indicated by double yellow lines, all roads are now red-routed and are enforced by a third party organisation.’
‘The same compliance company also has a separate agreement in place with the petrol station,’ the spokesman added.
**Have you been affected by the airport’s parking charges? Get in touch at chantalle.edmunds@mailonline.com**