Colchester Hospital parking fines 'completely wrong'

Shirley Tuckfield, 86, received three penalty charge notices (PCNs) in March and April for allegedly parking in Colchester Hospital’s staff car park to visit her husband, who had a stroke.

Her daughter Trazer Lyles successfully appealed all three of the parking fines after the Car Parking Partnership – the company which operates the car park at Colchester Hospital – failed to prove where Mrs Tuckfield parked.

Controversial – parking fines are a regular gripe for visitors at Colchester Hospital (Image: Steve Brading)

But Mrs Tuckfield has now received a letter from the debt collectors Direct Collection Bailiffs for a fourth parking fine she says she never received – and without an original PCN, it is impossible to appeal the fine.

Mrs Lyles has told the Gazette her mother, a disabled badge holder, is now suffering from the stress of being threatened with legal action whilst she looks after her husband at their home in West Mersea.

She said: “Her husband was rushed in with a serious stroke and was in hospital for two months, so my mum was frantically going backwards and forwards.

“She is really struggling – she is extremely stressed and distressed these constant letters she is receiving.

“I have had to sort it all out for her because she can’t sort it out herself.”

Mrs Lyles, of Lincolnshire, added the situation was compounded by the fact the Car Parking Partnership (CPP) is virtually uncontactable.

She continued: “It is impossible to get hold of anyone at the CPP – there is obviously a problem because the camera is not showing her park anywhere, but just going in and out of the car park.

“This is the fourth time – she has had a whole stream of them.

“She has now got a letter from the bailiffs regarding this parking fine, but she never received a parking notice for that.

Worrying – Trazer Lyles is fighting the parking fines for her mother (Image: Newsquest)

“We have had to appeal that but haven’t heard anything back – there must be something wrong with the system at the hospital if other people have having the same problems.

“I have tried phoning the bailiffs and they say they can’t do anything, so what’s supposed to happen?

“The whole system is wrong.”

A spokesman for ESNEFT, which runs Colchester Hospital, said: “We have cancelled the outstanding fine and our travel team will be very happy to talk to the patient to discuss how to register as a Blue Badge holder if they would like to email us at travel.plan@esneft.nhs.uk.”