Alison Gray, by a ticket machine in Globe Lane car park, Chatham.

by Dan Bloom

Battling motorist Alison Gray has won her bid for clearer car park signs so others don’t get caught out like her.

Mum-of-three Mrs Gray ran out of time while shopping in Chatham so nipped back to buy another ticket.

But that was against the rules, as drivers are banned from buying two tickets within 24 hours, so she ended up with a £50 fine.

Mrs Gray was adamant the little-known rule wasn’t clear enough so she complained to Medway Council.

Frustrated with the lack of progress, she then drew up a new “rules sign” on her computer and emailed it to several councillors.

Now, to her delight, chiefs have taken up her design and it takes pride of place at Chatham’s Globe Lane car park.

“The 63-year-old teaching assistant, of Bush Road, Cuxton, said: “I’m not suggesting people should feed meters but the reality is often people don’t necessarily get everything they want when shopping.

The alternative that the council suggested was to go and find a car park somewhere else, which is ridiculous.

“They said basically that it was quite clear and how could I not see it. So I took the notice and with my son’s help I altered it on the computer and put the important bits in people’s line of sight.”

Mrs Gray was stung while she was doing some shopping.

She said: “I needed some photographic paper from Rymans and I thought ‘right, I’m out of time, I need to get another ticket’.”

She bought two two-hour permits, bringing the total to less than the five-hour maximum stay in Globe Lane before fees go up sharply.

“It just doesn’t seem logical,” she said. “I felt like I was being charged on a technicality.”

A council spokesman said the one-ticket rule was brought in because Globe Lane is designed as a short-stay car park close to the High Street.

She added: “Shoppers are required to pay £5.20 to park all day there. We would encourage residents to use the nearby Whiffens car park as a long-stay parking facility, as this offers a considerably lower charge of £3.40 for all-day parking.

“However, we are always happy to listen to residents’ concerns about signage, and new inserts have been placed in the Globe Lane machines following Alison’s suggestion.”