EMPLOYEES of a company which has paid out thousands for parking permits have received £350 worth of tickets in a council car park.

Four members of staff at software development company Commidea, in Romney Place, Maidstone, have so far had £30 fines slapped on their cars - despite displaying the permit given to them by Maidstone Borough Council.

Although some have refused to pay and are appealing, one employee became so exasperated with demands for mounting fines he paid up.

The collective bill to staff is £350 so far - with the amount going up as each unpaid fine increases in value from £30 to £60 and then £90 as time passes.

Victoria Corbyn, personal assistant to the managing director, said: "There are two people with four tickets each, one with one and one who has paid all his tickets now - he paid £90 for one and £60 for the other.

"The whole process is so long and convoluted - we had him screaming in the office because he was so frustrated.

“At the moment, everyone's coming in really angry. It just isn't funny any more - it's just time-wasting. Everyone's concerned that it's going to happen to them next."

It seems the company's 14 permits - which cost them £390 each every six months, adding up to a yearly bill of £10,920 - are not valid for the council car park in Mote Road because they do not have the correct stamp on them.

Those who have received tickets have appealed - but the process has taken weeks.

Miss Corbyn added: "Things like this just take up the company's time and we are so busy. The company really is trying to accommodate our staff, trying to ensure that they have the best working conditions. At the moment, it's more trouble than it's worth."

Holly Jackson, 21, an administration co-ordinator, received four tickets during a 10-day period.

She said: "It's absolutely ridiculous - now we are just getting frustrated with it. We owe £120 at the moment - but obviously the first one is going to go up to £60 and we are not prepared to pay these parking fines.

"They haven't stamped the ticket properly, but we don't see that as being our problem. It's quite worrying. My partner and I have just moved into a new house - it's our first house together and money's quite tight.

"We really can't afford this money to be hanging over our heads."

A spokesman for the Maidstone Borough Council said: "The permits were not stamped when issued. We have apologised for the oversight and are rectifying the situation."