A mother from the Midlands has described her shock after being hit with a parking fine for allegedly leaving her car at a retail park for nearly 18 hours, despite only stopping for a quick 10-minute shopping trip.
The Disputed Parking Charge
Nikita Betton, a 37-year-old mother of four from Arnold, briefly visited Springfield Retail Park in Bulwell, Nottingham, on December 18. Her intention was a swift visit to a pound shop. However, just before Christmas on December 23, she received a Parking Charge Notice (PCN) from the operator, Premier Park.
The notice claimed her vehicle was parked at the site from 3.36pm on December 18 until 9.21am the following day – a total of 17 hours and 44 minutes. The fine was set at £60, rising to £100 if not paid within a specified period.
"I was absolutely dumbfounded," Ms Betton stated. "I was there for 10 minutes if that to go to the pound shop. We go there all the time, we've been going years and never ever had anything like this." She added that the unexpected charge added stress during an already expensive festive period.
A Fight for Evidence and Fairness
Ms Betton insists she has proof she was elsewhere during the disputed overnight period, including completing the school run and visiting other shops. She has contested the penalty and provided bank statements to support her claim, but says she is still awaiting a substantive response from the parking company.
Further complicating her challenge, she alleges the only contact number provided on the notice is a premium-rate line, leaving her uncertain about how to effectively escalate her dispute without incurring further cost.
Her case is not an isolated incident at this location. NottinghamshireLive has previously reported on other drivers incorrectly penalised at the same Springfield Retail Park. In August 2020, a driving instructor was fined for using the car park to demonstrate a manoeuvre. A month prior, a 40-year-old woman received a ticket for a 14-hour stay she insisted never happened.
A Wider Pattern of Parking Grievances
Campaign groups argue that Ms Betton's experience is part of a troubling national trend where parking enforcement appears geared more towards revenue than fair management. Hugh Bladon from the Alliance of British Drivers said he has seen "too many" similar cases and encouraged motorists to stand their ground when they believe a penalty is wrongly issued.
This sentiment is echoed by other recent high-profile disputes. In November 2025, the Mirror Online reported on business trainer Christian Wolstencroft, who was fined £100 by Smart Parking Ltd for overstaying by just seven minutes at a diner car park in Leominster. He had left abruptly after receiving an emergency call about his hospitalised mother, but said the firm showed "no compassion whatsoever" and refused to cancel the charge.
There is growing frustration among UK drivers who feel that the system for contesting parking penalties, whether from private operators or local councils, has become increasingly difficult and opaque, leaving many feeling powerless against inaccurate charges.
