Larne woman left ‘shocked and disgusted’ at parking fine

Louise McCabe told the Times she had received assurances from a traffic warden that she could park her car across two spaces, provided she purchased two pay-and-display tickets.

And the mother-of-two did just that while on a shopping trip to Carrickfergus on April 26.

However, when Louise returned to her car she was “shocked and disgusted” to discover she had received a £90 penalty charge.

The 44-year-old said: “I have a chronic back condition, and I find it quite difficult to get my two twin girls into and out of the car because of this. The problem is exacerbated when parking in public car parks, as there is often very little space between vehicles to get the doors open.

“I explained my situation to a traffic warden in Ballymena, and was told that as long as a I purchased two tickets, I could park across two spaces to give myself more room to get my kids in and out of the car.

“So I was absolutely shocked to discover I had received a fine.

“I ended up paying a £45 fine because I paid the charge within 14 days and got a 50 per cent discount. But I am a single parent and money is tight, so I had to borrow the money to pay the fine.

“It is a complete disgrace the way I have been treated, I have appealed the decision twice, but the Roads Service just don’t seem interested in what I have to say. I was given incorrect information by a traffic warden and have paid the price as a result.”

A spokesperson for the Department for Regional Development said: “This incident is currently under investigation and it would be inappropriate to comment further until the investigation is complete.”