A disabled man from Great Yarmouth has claimed he was unfairly fined by a car park company.
Steven Crickmore, 63, parked at the Euro Car Parks location on Howard Street on June 29 and tried to pay the £1.70 fee for two hours of parking.
He said he attempted to use two separate machines, but both were indicating they were “offline”.
When he asked an on-site maintenance worker for assistance, he was reportedly told the machines had been “having issues” all day.
Mr Crickmore, who relies on disability benefits, said he has since been hit with mounting fines from the car park operator.
“It started at £60, then went to £100, and now it’s up to £170,” he said.
“As a 63-year-old man on disability benefits, I just can’t afford £170.”
Mr Crickmore appealed the fine and despite explaining the situation to Euro Car Parks, they dismissed his claims.
He said he feels the company is “bullying and trying to extort money” from him.
“I’ve always used that car park. That’s the most annoying thing. The machines were faulty, and now I’m being penalized for it,” he added.
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Euro Car Parks has been contacted for comment but had not responded at the time of writing.
The company, which was incorporated in 1976, more than doubled its pre-tax profits in a year from £6.2m in 2021 to £16.6m in 2022.
Last year it earned profits worth more than £12.5m.
It is owned and run by London solicitor Barry Tucker and his wife Rita, both aged 69-years-old.
In their annual report submitted to Companies House last year, the directors said their "strong financial position continues to prove attractive to both public and private institutions and assists in attracting new contracts".
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