A driver has recommended a "hack" which helped get him out of paying a parking fine.
Jamie Chalmers, 21, was issued with a whopping £100 penalty for overstaying three hours in a car park he had never parked in. But he cleverly relied on his Google Maps Location History on his phone to appeal the costs.
According to The Mirror, the "shocked" man - who had been out celebrating his 21st birthday - knew he hadn't parked his vehicle there, let alone even used his car on the day in question. He then appealed against the charge, where he managed to prove his whereabouts in Portsmouth, Hants, by accessing his Google Location History.
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As Location History allows users to review a timeline of their location in past days, weeks and months through the Google Maps app, the Jamie was able to prove his innocence. After tracking down his history, he sent proof of his location to the company that charged him - Premier Park Ltd - and they subsequently revoked it.
The 21-year-old credited his phone's technology as his saviour from the hefty charge. The man from Hilsea, Portsmouth said: "I was shocked when I got the ticket. I thought, 'I haven't parked anywhere for three hours'.
"The picture they sent me showed me driving back to the main road... Another picture showed me giving way at a junction. They said I'd overstayed in the car park by three hours.
"This wasn't true - I didn't use the car park. I had only been to the drive-through. I used my Google location history to hit back against their claims. It shows what times and places you have been to and how long you have been driving. I appealed and showed them the evidence and they had no choice but to drop it."
Upholding the rightful appeal, Premier Park wrote to Jamie saying: "Please be advised that on this occasion your appeal has been upheld and the PCN has now been cancelled." Riding high on having his ticket annulled, Mr Chalmers is now encouraging others to fight falsely issued fines by using the Location History feature, adding: "I won, but a lot of people might not be in the same position.
"You have to turn on your Google Location History for it to work. I recommend other people use it to save themselves paying a fine they shouldn't have been given."
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