A young mum is devastated after being handed a £70 fine after getting stuck for an hour and a half in a Tesco carpark and having her appeal rejected.
Ellie Brierley , 21, who lives in Manchester, was stuck trying to leave the car park on August 7, for 90 minutes due to Manchester United match traffic spilling over from nearby Old Trafford Stadium
The mum and her two sons, aged nine months and 20 months, were in the car with her at the time and as the air conditioning wasn't working temperatures inside reached 32 degrees.
She told Manchester Evening News of how she was shocked when she received a £70 car parking fine from Horizon Parking a few days later, reduced to £30 if she paid in 14 days.
Ellie, who says she was shopping for just over an hour in Tesco, appealed but says her appeal has been rejected.
The ordeal saw Ellie having to unpack her shopping in the car to pacify her two children and even drove in the wrong direction when she was eventually able to exit, due to heavy traffic blocking her way.
The mum says the parking time is normally three hours but is reduced to 90 minutes on match days.
But she says she had only just returned from her holiday and wasn't aware the match was taking place, and says it wasn't advertised on the LED board.
She appealed the fine but received a note today saying it had been rejected.
She says: "I was shocked at the decision and I am just upset that they are trying to force me to pay something I should not have to pay."
Ellie did not keep her receipt as proof of shopping as she had not anticipated getting a fine, but says she collected Tesco club points on the day and paid for her shopping with a bank card.
She says she now plans to appeal again.
A Tesco spokesperson said: “There is a time limit of three hours and two hours on match days for the car park of our Stretford Extra store to help make sure everyone is able to find a space.
"We are always happy to review cases where a customer feels they have received a penalty charge in error."
