PARKING wardens are under scrutiny again this week in Farnham, due to confusion in the car park opposite Sainsbury’s in the town centre.

Charles Murray-Roscoe does not live locally and so found himself unaware that South Street car park is a Pay and Display, owned by Waverley Borough Council rather than Sainsbury’s.

Mr Murray-Roscoe told the Herald that he had left his car for just eight minutes whilst he bought some flowers from the store, before returning to find a parking fine of £50 on his vehicle.

He said: “It was not deliberate. Not being local, we weren’t aware this wasn’t a Sainsbury’s car park and had we known we would’ve handled the situation differently, we were in a hurry.

“It has shed a very bad light on Waverley, I can’t find the words to describe it, it’s disgusting.

“They blatantly just turned down the appeal and I feel there was no compassion at all.

“Its a form of a money making scam on behalf of the local council.”

Mr Murray-Roscoe will be re-appealing, which comes with the risk of incurring further costs.

A spokesperson from the council said: “It is up to drivers to make sure they check parking terms and conditions when leaving their car in a car park.

“All our car parks have clear signage which explains the charging tariffs and terms and conditions.

“There is a 10 minutes grace period that applies when a ticket has expired, which is a national rule.

“The hand-held devices used by parking control officers also require five minutes of observation time before a parking ticket can be issued for non-display.

“This is primarily to allow time to purchase a ticket.”

It comes after a pensioner was slapped with two parking fines following a fall in Castle Street that landed her in hospital.

A note had been left on the vehicle dashboard explaining the circumstances, however the council informed the Herald that parking wardens were “not equipped or authorised to respond to notes left in vehicles”.