Thanks for all the advice. I am currently trying to get hold of a off street parking places order for the car park but as usual the council do not know what I am talking about and seem to send me around in circles. Spoke to one woman who said that she would send me the relevant information when she has found it so hopefully she will send me something pretty quickly.

There was not a barrier for entry or exit. You was meant to push the button the ticket pay machine and a 30 minutes free ticket would have been produced but as I said this wasn't stated until further down the sign and in smaller letters.

Thanks for the advice. I will request a copy from the council.

Hi I got a parking ticket yesterday when I parked in a council run car park. The car park was free for the first 30 minutes therefore I parked my car, went into a shop across the road for ten minutes and then came back to see that a ticket was on my windscreen. I questioned the ticket warden why I had got a ticket when the first 30 minutes were free and she explained that this is only valid when I displayed a ticket dispensed from the machine stating the time I had arrived. Now I accept that I didn't display a ticket stating that I was only going to stay 30 minutes but the car park sign stated the first 30 minutes were free and then went onto list the hours and charges. It was only at the bottom in tiny font did it state that if you wanted to stay for 30 minutes free you must print out a ticket which I felt was unfair for me to get a £35 fine for seeing as I didn't cheat them out of any money and the carpark sign is designed to be misleading. Please could anyone help? I don't know if I have a leg to stand on if I refuse to pay. Please reply soon as if I don't pay within 7 days the fine will go upto £60 and I don't want that to happen. Thanks.