Angry drivers are allegedly having to fork out fines of £60 and higher after spending just SECONDS driving through a Burton car park.
Motorists say they have been hit with parking fines after driving through the Workout Gym car park in Wetmore Road to get to to the Washlands Social Club behind it in Meadow Road, Burton.
Dozens of disgruntled visitors claim to have received charges of £60 and more after driving through the gym car park to get to the social club - one of the only two routes to access the popular sports venue.
The company which operates the cameras says it is unaware of any issues and urged anyone who has received a parking notice they feel is not correct to appeal through the usual process.
Washlands Social Club chairman Matt Seaborn said: "I had a first ticket in January but I appealed it and got it quashed.
"We've just been driving through the car park. There's something not right with the camera system.
"The majority of people will drive through the car park now the bridge has shut."
There are two car park cameras in the Workout Gym car park and on the bridge towards the social club.
One is to clock whether cars are actually staying in the gym car park and the other is to recognise whether a vehicle is just passing through to get to the club instead of staying.
Director of Washlands Social Club, Rob Skinner, said: "We're concerned over the parking tickets that have been issued to members and guests at the Washlands Social Club over the last year or so.
"We have heard of about a dozen people being issued tickets but there might be more.
"My main concern is that people have actually paid these fines for using the right of way over the Workout Gym car park.
"My feelings are that it's when people are leaving the social club that people are being ticketed to use the right of way to get back into the car park.
"Another car may be pulling up behind them and unfortunately they don't get stamped for going back out again."
Father-of-three Simon Rushton, of Stretton, said he was taking his son to a junior football match at the Washlands Social Club back in February when he received an unexpected parking fine 10 days later.
He believes the parking camera in The Workout car park picked his vehicle in on the way in but claims the camera on the bridge failed to recognise that he was only passing through.
The 48-year-old said: "It's the camera on the bridge which is the problem, are far as they are concerned I parked there.
"I went into the car park twice and came out twice, but they only gave me one ticket which was very generous.
"I put a post on the 'Spotted Burton' Facebook page and had a few replies from others with the same issue.
"People have even paid the fines just to stop the hassle and letters.
"I'm still in the appeal process. The appeal has been turned down and then they employ a collections company, they will be knocking on doors soon and then it goes to the courts."
Premier Park, the parking company which operate the cameras in The Workout gym car park, said it was unaware of any motorists driving through the site receiving unfair charges.
In a statement, it said: "Prior to our involvement the gym often found their car park full of non-members causing inconvenience to genuine users and the issue was also starting to affect their business.
"We implemented an ANPR system linked into a touchscreen terminal for members to register when visiting the gym and this system has resolved the issues with non-member parking.
"There are two cameras to cover the entrances and exits at each end and we are not aware, from the thousands of vehicles using the site over a period of time, of any issues of vehicles driving through the site receiving charges.
"Premier Park are members of the British Parking Association and also offer a full independent appeals service via POPLA.
"We would urge anyone who believes they have been issued a charge incorrectly to contact us through the correct channels indicated on the Parking Charge Notice."
