I nipped to McDonald's in Liverpool before work & now I'm fighting a 7 hour parking fine

Vinnie Brownell is contesting a penalty notice issued last October by UK Parking Control which alleged he left the McDonald’s restaurant car park at Aigburth Road in Dingle after being parked from 8am to 3pm.

Mr Brownell, who owns Allerton Furniture Centre on Admiral Street just a mile away, told the LDRS he in fact left the restaurant after 30 minutes. He visits most days on his way to work to pick up a coffee before opening up at 9.30am.

In a bid to have his ticket thrown out, Mr Brownell has sought the support of the staff at McDonald’s who have written a testimony in his favour. The statement, from store management, said the businessman never remains on site for more than 30 minutes at any one time.

At the L8 restaurant, the 41 spaces offer a maximum stay of 90 minutes at any one time. According to the notice to Mr Brownell, UK Parking Control – which manages the car park – alleged he left his vehicle in a space from 8am to 3pm in October last year.

He told the LDRS: “I wish I had that much time to spare. It’s only around the corner, I go in every weekday on my way to work.

“It’s a bit frustrating, I tried to ring them to explain but I was told I would have to pay in full. Why should I? It never happened.

“I’m not there for seven hours, I don’t know whether the cameras are faulty.

“It has now got to the stage that court proceedings are in place. I think it’s despicable.”

In a bid to have his fine thrown out, Mr Brownell, who has worked in the furniture trade for 42 years and run his business in L8 since 1995, has sought the support of the staff who serve his morning coffee at McDonald’s. In a statement, Kate Boyle, a shift manager at the store on Aigburth Road, wrote to clear her regular customer’s name.

This isn’t the first time the furniture shop owner has had to do battle with a parking fine, having already had an erroneous ticket at McDonald’s thrown out once before.

The LDRS contacted UK Parking Control for comment. No response was received ahead of publication.