Supermarket will ‘review parking fines’

ASDA in Biggleswade has also increased the time that vehicles can park at the store by an extra 30 minutes to two-and-a-half hours.

The retailer had come under fire after introducing rules limiting stays in the car park to two hours, with no return within two hours.

Cameras register the number plates of vehicles entering and leaving and £70 parking charge notices are sent to motorists who overstay. But the firm has now softened its stance.

The change comes after shopper Jean Thomson and her son were issued a ticket despite making two short visits to the car park which were some five hours apart.

Mrs Thomson, of Biggleswade, said: “I parked there in the afternoon while my son used the ASDA cash machine briefly, and he returned at 8.30pm that night to shop at the store.”

An ASDA spokesman said: “We are happy to review our customers’ tickets on a case by case basis and on this occasion it looks like our cameras have found it difficult to read Mrs Thomson’s number plate. We apologise for any inconvenience and we have cancelled the ticket.”