Firm investigating Corby car park software error

The firm which runs a busy Corby car park is investigating a software error after a woman was given an incorrect parking fine.
Mrs McKenzie's parking charge notice and her ticket.Mrs McKenzie's parking charge notice and her ticket.
Mrs McKenzie's parking charge notice and her ticket.

Elizabeth McKenzie came back from her holiday and was stunned to receive a parking charge notice, despite leaving the Oasis car park in Alexandra Road 20 minutes before her ticket expired.

It was only by chance that she kept her ticket that the notice was overturned - and she wonders how many have been caught out by the same error.

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She said: “I received the fine and didn’t think it looked right so managed to find my ticket.

“I paid for an hour and left after 40 minutes but got fined.

“It was only by chance that I kept my ticket, how many people keep car parking tickets a month after they park?

“It makes you think, how many others have been fined because of the same glitch?”

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The car park’s ANPR system was at the centre of a controversy in November 2014 after scores of people were wrongly fined for overstaying, with tickets later refunded.

It was later revealed that the error was down to a software ‘glitch’.

Secure Parking UK general manager Guy Watson told the Northants Telegraph said they were investigating the incident and that he wasn’t sure how the payment was not logged.

He also said that each parking notice would be checked before it is issued to avoid incorrectly charging paying customers.

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Mr Watson also offered to donate £60 to Ms McKenzie’s charity of choice, with her choosing Lakelands Hospice.

As the system is ANPR-run, users don’t need to display their tickets - meaning some throw them straight into the bin.

Town centre manager Dan Pickard said there had been no rise in complaints since the problems when the system was first installed.

He said: “It’s quite a straight forward system and you do get an awful lot of people come through.

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“With technology there is occasionally a glitch but nothing has come to my light.

“You can go back and check the ANPR.

“The system is not there to make money, it’s there to enforce parking regulations.”