Council loses ticket battle (From Stroud News and Journal)

Council loses ticket battle

BUNGLING bureaucrats at Stroud District Council have suffered a second embarrassing defeat over a parking ticket row.

In December, magistrates threw out the council's case against Laura Trotman after a year-long legal battle over a 40p ticket.

Now, another case has been dismissed - this time over a £2.10 all-day ticket.

Conservatory designer Tony Glastonbury, 55, also had to endure a year-long struggle.

Now the father-of-one, of Briar Close, Stroud, is demanding the authority repay the £1,000 incurred by his repeated court trips.

The saga began on April 8 last year when he bought a £2.10 all-day ticket and parked in a street in Stroud town centre.

Mr Glastonbury returned home but later that day he parked at the council-owned multi-storey car park in London Road while attending a physiotherapy appointment, believing the all-day ticket still covered him.

When he returned 40 minutes later he was stunned to find a penalty notice demanding £20 within seven days or £40 within 21 days.

He believes parking attendants failed to see the ticket due to bad lighting. The case went to court but was adjourned three times because the council was not ready to proceed.

When it finally came before Gloucester magistrates last Tuesday, the council demanded a fine of £500, £64 costs, legal service costs of £249, and compensation of £40.

The authority argued his ticket was non-transferrable - but the bench ruled this only meant between cars.

There was nothing, they said, to stop Mr Glastonbury from using it in any of the council's car parks.

Speaking afterwards, Mr Glastonbury said: "This case has been a total waste of taxpayers' money.

"It has now cost me over £1,000 and I feel very strongly that I should get it back."

Stroud taxpayers will pick up the council's legal bill - as they did when Ms Trotman's case was discharged.

She was unable to buy a ticket because the machines had been vandalised.

Dave Marshall, SDC spokesman, said the council's costs in Mr Glastonbury's case did not exceed £250.

"We prosecute 150 people a year for offences within our car parks," he added.

"It is unsurprising that one or two of these may go against us."