Hi all,

After some advice after receiving a Civil Parking Charge notice for Lidl in Cambridge Street St Neots.

1 Date of the infringement 02/12/18

2 Date on the NTK [this must have been received within 14 days from the 'offence' date] 04/12/18

3 Date received 06/12/18

4 Does the NTK mention schedule 4 of The Protections of Freedoms Act 2012? [y/n?] No, not as far as I can see.

5 Is there any photographic evidence of the event? Yes

6 Have you appealed? {y/n?] post up your appeal] No, only recieved today

Have you had a response? [Y/N?] post it up

7 Who is the parking company? Athena

8. Where exactly [carpark name and town] Lidl St Neots, Cambridge Street (there are 2 x Lidl's in St Neots)

They operate under IPC.

So, as above. I got into the car park at 10.46am on Sunday 2nd December and left at 12.29pm on the same day. Total stay of 1hr 42 mins. Free parking is limited to 1hr 30 mins. I went into Lidl to grab some breakfast before I went to the gym which is right next to Lidl and then went to the gym and then grabbed a bottle of water from Lidl after the gym. Not disputing that I was there that long, I honestly didn't realise I had been there that long. I have no receipts for Lidl.

Any advice please would be appreciated.

Get on to Lidl head office straight away.

The quicker you complain the easier it is for Lidl to be able to cancel your ticket.

The regulations are that motorists have a minimum of 10 minutes to overstay on their parking.

As this was on ANPR you were not parked for 12 minutes as you had to drive in and out of the car park, never mind reading their rules to decide if you wanted to abide by them. So being clocked in and out by a camera is not the actual time that were parked for.

Complain on those grounds and that Athena by their shady tactics are driving Lidl's customers away.

On top of that they had no legitimate reason to apply for your data from the DVLA thus laying themselves open to a claim against them for breaching GDPR. And Lidl as their agents are also liable.

agree with above, get on to Lidl HO and mke it clear that you were a customer and that as the overstay is so trifling they should instruct Athena to cancel. then ask them if Athena have planning permission for their cameras because if they dont Lidl may well be clobbered by the ICO as Athena are their servants and co culpable for their wrongs as much as they are.

Lay it on with a trowel, if they suggest that you email Athena or say nothing to do with them let them knwo that you wont be dropping the matter and will be warning people on social media that they are happy to engage in criminality.

Once it is obvious you are one of the awkward squad they usually do get the parking co to drop matters even if their policy says otherwise.

If this doesnt work immediately dotn be tempted to appeal to Athena, as members of the IPC they will never consider your appeal properly so not worth the effort.