Parking mad: Shopper fined £25 in Rotherham town centre "was told machine was broken"

Michael Duggan (61), of Philsomore Drive, Ravenfield, was hit with the charge after failing to display a ticket — despite the spot on Drummond Street being free for two hours.

Mr Duggan said he parked his white Vauxhall Astra van on January 26 at 11.30am and when he returned at 1.15pm, he had been ticketed.

“I walked up to the machine to get a ticket, but there were two or three people gathered around it and a man there told me the machine wasn’t working,” said Mr Duggan. “The parking is free for two hours anyway.”

He appealed the £25 fine, which could double if the proceedings reach the next stage, but Rotherham Borough Council dismissed his claim.

Mr Duggan said he was keen to stand his ground.

“I will see what I can do next in terms of a further appeal,” he said. “I won’t let this go. 

“A man told me the machine wasn’t working and I believed him. He looked like a respectable guy and I wasn’t going to turn around and call him a liar.

“I’ve tried to explain this to the council, but they are simply not listening to me.”

Colin Knight, the council’s head of service for highways, said the council’s civil enforcement officers test ticket machines regularly. 

“On the day the penalty charge notice (PCN) was issued, the machine was tested four times and no faults were found, including shortly before the PCN was issued,” Mr Knight said.

“Additionally, no other vehicles were found to have not paid on this day in this car park and the council did not receive any reports of faulty machines.”

The council said Mr Duggan could now submit representations to them and, if these were not accepted, he could take his case to the independent Traffic Penalty Tribunal.