Shoppers warned of £100 fines for supermarket car park breaches

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 5 Nov, 14:44 · Archive

Drivers face £100 charges for parking outside supermarket opening hours or breaking other car park conditions.

Supermarket car parks including those at Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda and Lidl restrict when vehicles can be parked, even when the car park is empty. Private operators managing these facilities can issue Parking Charge Notices and use automatic number plate recognition cameras to enforce rules, with notices sent by post.

Other conditions enforced include limits on length of stay, parking within marked bays, and restrictions on disabled and parent-and-child spaces. Graham Conway of Select Car Leasing urged drivers to check signage carefully, saying: 'Not all store car parks punish after or before-hours parking, but many do, and it's an issue that's causing real confusion among motorists.' The company has seen cases where people were charged after leaving vehicles for minutes.

Private Parking Charge Notices differ from council penalty charge notices. Citizens Advice advises drivers in England and Wales to check whether the parking company belongs to an accredited trade association when appealing. In Scotland, those wanting to challenge a ticket should contact the operator first, explain their reasons and request withdrawal, or approach the supermarket as landowner with photographic evidence of unclear signs.

How it is being reported

• Shoppers at Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Lidl and more risking £100 parking finesDrivers are urged to check supermarket parking signs after a warning that some car parks charge for parking outside opening hours.Malvern Gazette · 5 Nov, 09:06
• Shoppers at Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Lidl and more risking £100 parking finesDrivers are urged to check supermarket parking signs after a warning that some car parks charge for parking outside opening hours.Worcester News · 5 Nov, 09:06

In this story: Select Car Leasing · Tesco · Sainsbury's · Asda · Lidl · Citizens Advice · Graham Conway

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log