MORE than 50 shoppers using the Sainsbury’s local store at Station Hill in Chippenham have been charged up to £100 by a private operator after being caught for not paying to park.

They are customers who have failed to pay £1 to park in the right-hand side of the car park thinking it is part of the store’s free parking provision.

Mike and Jo Partner, of Monkton Park, are regulars at the store because it is close to where they live but found out to their cost on June 29 that only the left-hand side is free to park.

Mr Partner, 46, said: “Until we received the fine through the post we were not aware a private parking firm owned the right-hand side of the car park.

“After receiving the posted fine, I went down to the shop to look at signage and discuss the issue with the manager. He is aware the signage is very unclear and a lot of people have been fined.

“While I was taking photos of the layout, two people came up to me and stated they had also received fines recently, so I feel there must be many more this has happened to.”

Store manager Steven Ralph said: "I have received more than 50 complaints about the parking. The signage is not overly clear but it's difficult to say whether it is affecting our trade."

Sainsbury’s uses the left-hand side of the car park. Napier Parking Ltd of Milton Keynes manages 16 spaces on the right-hand side which is clearly marked with pay and display signage.

The company is issuing customers who don't pay for short term parking with £100 penalty notices, reduced to £60 if drivers pay up within 14 days.

James de Savary, managing director of Napier Parking, said: “Sainsburys have never contacted us at any time regarding this car park to the best of our knowledge and we have lost only one appeal and that had nothing to do with the signage.

"If consumers are having issues they are not bringing them to our attention."

Mr de Savary said the signage had been approved by the International Parking Community (IPC) and that it clearly stated that area of the car park was for pay and display parking.

"This site has been audited by the IPC and that was passed, they reviewed signage as part of that process.

"They also operate a complaints procedure and no complaints have been received regarding this site from them ever.

"We have also had no escalated complaints at this site other than normal appeals.

"All notices (recorded incidents) without exception are issued by our uniformed attendants driving a marked vehicle."

But Mr Partner added: “Although it states ANPR is monitoring parking times, it is simply a person with a camera that waits for you to park in one of the private spaces, takes a picture of your car when you get out, waits minimum of one minute to take the next picture which then results in a fine.

“I looked into the signs displayed in more detail and it is very misleading when you’re driving into such a busy compact car park.

“When your turning in right as we do from Monkton Park, you can see Sainsbury’s have a maximum 45 minute stay sign up, however you cannot clearly see the private parking sign opposite.

“As you drive in on the left, you do not see the sign in the middle with the small arrows detailing Sainsbury’s parking to the left, private to the right!

“If the nine or ten Sainsbury’s parking spaces are full, which they generally are, you drive on round and can park in the middle assuming it is still Sainsbury’s parking.

“After looking in more detail, there are signs on the wall warning of ANPR; however, I have always assumed this was run by Sainsbury’s to enforce people to not exceed the 45 minute limit.

“I do feel this is just done as a money spinner to prey on the weak scaring them into paying a huge fine.

“In our fine, our arrival time was 12:00:56 and departing time was 12:02:11 (1 minute and 15 seconds).

“This is absolutely disgusting and would not allow an elderly person enough time to get to the machine to pay for a ticket and get back to the car.

“When I was there taking photos I warned several people that had parked in the middle area of the private land they potentially could be fined and they, like myself, were bemused as it is so unclear, stating they are regular shoppers here and had always parked anywhere assuming it was owned by Sainsbury’s.

“We also spoke to head office customer service about this issue and they are not in a position to do anything as they do not own the land.

“They simply advised us to make the council and press aware to hopefully avoid future stress to innocent shoppers whilst using this store.”