Another driver has fallen foul of ParkingEye, the private company which runs the Cibi Walk car park in the centre of Abergavenny reports JOHN JONES.

On Tuesday 16 February Mr Martin Harding of Blaenavon was shocked to receive a parking demand in the post.

He was issued with a notice charging him £50 for over-staying his time in the Cibi Walk car park Abergavenny on Friday, February 12 between the hours of 11:03am and 11:27am.

Mr Harding was told he had just 13 days to pay the fine or a much higher charge would be issued.

However Mr Harding had bought a parking ticket on the 12 February between the hours of 11:07am and 13:07pm, making the parking fine invalid.

Mr Harding said after receiving the letter: "I thought it was a joke but when I read further into it, I thought why am I being prosecuted for something I haven't done?"

Mr Harding is now in the process of getting in touch with his MP to discuss further action against the company.

He stated "I am quite prepared to take ParkingEye to court over this matter." and says that if he hadn't kept the ticket "I would have had to pay £50 for something I already paid for"

Mr Harding said he got in contact with the Chronicle to serve as a "warning" about the car park.

"As far as I'm concerned this is nothing but a scam," said Mr Harding

"I wouldn't like to see anyone else using the car park and getting booked for something they haven't done."

He added: "This is probably not the first time this has happened, and it is probably won't be the last."

Despite several attempts to contact ParkingEye the company was unavailable for comment as the Chronicle went to Press.

According to advice issued by consumer consultant website Money Saving Expert.com, private parking companies are not in a position to issue 'fines' to drivers.

"These supposed 'fines' are the new Wild West, and whether the cowboys do it at supermarkets, retail parks, hospitals or housing estates, they're often unenforceable," says the website.

Mr Harding's case is not the first time the Cibi Walk car park has hit the headlines.

In March 2010 a woman by the name of Sian Probert, who was heavily pregnant at the time and going to pick up medical supplies, also got a £50 fine.

When interviewed Mrs Probert said: I am so annoyed and upset because we didn't leave the car to go shopping, I sat and waited for my partner to get change and because it was taking too long he came back and moved the car. I've done it before in other car parks as you've not always got enough change on you."

Ms Probert's story began a wave of complainants to both the Chronicle and TV consumer programme X-Ray, who all highlighted how they had been issued with fines despite having bought parking tickets.