When it comes to shopping, many of us will often nip in to our local store to grab some last minute essentials.
However drivers could face risking a fine even if they pop into the shops for a short few minutes.
This means that people behind the wheel could receive a penalty charge notice if they park incorrectly.
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The warning comes as Sainsbury's issued a reminder to those wrongly using parent and child bays without actually having kids with them stating that their team "regularly monitors" its car parks.
And analysis from Confused.com found many people use these bays without actually needing to with the excuses most often given is that people were "just nipping in" for a few minutes, or because there were no other spaces available.
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It’s not illegal to park in a parent and child space without a child as most supermarket car parks are on private property, so there are no official government or council-level rules on these bays.
But you could get a Parking Charge Notice (PCN), the same as you would if you overstayed in a car park. Sainsbury's said it clearly signposts its parent and child bays, and anyone found to be misusing them could be hit with a parking fine.
It is understood, according to Liverpool Echo, people are also at risk of a PCN if caught using these bays incorrectly at Tesco.
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