A grandmother has slammed a private parking firm after being slapped with a £100 fine when she popped to the shops.

Recently, three bays outside the Heart of Kent Hospice charity store in Park Wood, Maidstone, have been put under restrictions which threaten anyone who parks there with a penalty charge notice (PCN).

Ever since the shops were built, the spaces, which are opposite three identical bays that have no charges, have been free to use for customers and people living in the area.

But, Suzette Jones, who lives nearby in Bicknor Road, was issued a fine after visiting the charity shop “for 10 minutes” earlier this month.

The great-grandmother, who works in the kitchen at a care home in Headcorn, slammed Car Parking Management (CPM) and said the new fines are “sneaky”.

The 77-year-old fumed: “They have one sign which is so high up it’s hard to see. You’ve never had to pay for parking there.

“I was up all night when I got the letter through. It’s just so sneaky and I don’t want it happening to anyone else.”

In the fine letter sent to Suzette, CPM say the signage is “clearly displayed”.

Suzette, who has lived in the area since 1987 with her husband John, a former lorry driver, says she won’t be paying the fine as she thinks it’s unfair.

“They can take me to court, I won’t be paying,” she added.

Skin consultant Desislava Grigorova lives in nearby Langley Park has also got a fine

The 46-year-old said: “I received the letter on Thursday with the fine saying it’s £100 fine unless we pay within a certain time and then it’s £60.

“I’m going to appeal it considering my partner was out just for a minute to go into Morrisons where he found out the system was down and he couldn’t post a letter.

“For this minute one of their traffic wardens was sat in a car there and taking pictures, then issuing fines.

“It’s absolutely not normal. He wasn’t there for hours, it was one minute. We weren’t aware there had been a sign put up there”

Suzette has got in touch with Faversham and Mid Kent MP Helen Whately about the problem. KentOnline approached the Conservative MP for comment.

Stacey Bridger said the signage is confusing for older people as it is okay to park one side and then directly opposite it is not.

She said: “You get fined one side but not the other. I don’t know where they expect people to park when going to the shops.

“The old car park was much more sufficient for residents and people using the shops.

Another woman commented: “My daughter got one dropping stuff at the hospice shop. I think the problem was what used to be parking was changed to residents parking and so confused people.”

One person, who lives in the properties the spaces are designed for, blamed careless people for using their private spaces incorrectly.

He said: “I live in the block of flats. Everyone was getting fed up coming home from a hard day’s work and nowhere to park because people were parking their car here for a very long time.

"All of us in this block got really annoyed and complained because we used to come home with our shopping and stuff like that and we had to walk it from across the road all the way to our home.”

Labour councillor Dan Wilkinson represents the Park Wood and Mangravet ward and has written to Golding Homes, who own the properties near the shops which the parking charges are trying to protect.

He said: “Though we haven’t been contacted directly regarding any one specific incident, myself and [fellow ward councillor] Cllr Jenkins-Baldock are aware of it and both feel that as well as the fines being hugely excessive, the signage is far too small and not nearly prominent enough.

“This leaves people using local businesses and services in a position where they may be placed into financial hardship.

“We appreciate that the system is intended to preserve parking for residents in the immediate vicinity, but £100 is a week’s shopping to many families, and Park Wood is one of the most deprived areas in the region, not just the borough.

“Furthermore, many long-term residents of Park Wood remember the car park in the old Park Wood parade before the regeneration, with space for perhaps 40 or 50 cars.

“We are writing to both CPM and Golding Homes to learn how a fine this high – even as a deterrent - is justified, whether there can be any movement on this, and - regardless of the outcome - to request much clearer signage.

“We are also aware that some local services and businesses are trying to do their part by warning visitors themselves, which we thank them for.”

Assistant director of customers at Golding Homes, Terry Spillard, said: “We understand the frustrations and are working with local partners to balance the needs of our customers living in Park Wood with those using local shops and businesses.

“From Monday, August 5, we’ll start a three-month trial where those visiting Fusion and Heart of Kent Hospice can scan a QR code for free parking or obtain a permit from inside.

“We hope this’ll make things easier for everyone and are writing to keep our customers informed this week. There are six signs clearly displaying restrictions outside the shops in Cobb Way and free street parking available close by.””

KentOnline has approached CPM for comment.