Peterborough man claims ‘victory for the small man’ after winning court case against parking firm over £4.50 ticket

A Peterborough man has claimed a “victory for the small man” after winning a court case against a parking firm – over a ticket worth £4.50.

Andrew Mogridge, 59, won the County Court case against Britannia Parking, after he was given the ticket following a stop at the Wentworth Street car park in Peterborough City Centre.

Mr Mogridge says he was awarded a total of £14.50 from Britannia – to cover his mileage to the court hearing and parking expenses during the hearing – and didn’t have to pay the original £4.50 parking fee, which had escalated to £300 by the time of the hearing.

The dispute began four years ago, when Andrew parked his car in the city centre car park, while he was at work in his nearby office.

He said: “The car park was a pay as you exit, rather than pay as you arrive.

"As I left the car park, I tried to pay the £4.50 using my phone, and two credit cards, but the machine was not working.

"Like many people, I didn't have any cash on me at the time. I went and got some cash, went to Asda so I could have the correct change, and came back to the car park.

"But by that point it had gone up to asking me for £6.50 – which I didn’t have.

"I went home and phoned them up, and I was told to pay online – and when I tried to do that, it had gone up to £7.50.”

Mr Mogridge said he decided not to pay, as the figure had risen because the machine had been broken, and that was not his fault.

He said: “They sent me lots of letters, and the fee reached £300 by the end, and it was taken to court.

"It was very nerve wracking, as if I had lost I would have had a CCJ against me and my credit rating would have fallen through the floor. Doing this isn’t for the faint hearted.

"But it was a victory for the small man. I know lots of people have been stung by machines that are not working in Peterborough.”

A spokesman for Britannia Parking said they could not comment on individual cases, but changed had been made due to a shift towards card payments.

They said: “Britannia Parking is a responsible car park operator and manager of more than 30 years’ standing and we take our responsibilities very seriously.

“Whilst we cannot comment on individual circumstances, following the pandemic there has been a large shift towards card payments and as a result we installed new pay on arrival payment machines in October 2020 that accept card payments only along with offering the Pay By Phone and pay-online services.

“We encourage all motorists to make themselves familiar with the terms and conditions of our car parks.

“We are a member of the British Parking Association and operate strictly in accordance with the industry’s Approved Operators Code of Conduct.”