A BUSINESSMAN who missed car park payment signs even after he had a trip to Specsavers has complained to Colchester Council.

Richard Ford was on his way to the opticians in Colchester when he parked in the newly re-opened Priory Street car park.

Seeing no signs or ticket machines, Mr Ford thought it was his lucky day and headed for his appointment.

But he got a nasty shock when he arrived back at his car to find a warden had slapped him with a £50 parking fine.

Richard, who owns his own Colchester travel company, said: “I was gobsmacked.

“I saw a traffic warden and said I didn’t need a ticket as there were no signs up.

“He said ‘Yes, there are’ before looking around and adding ‘We don’t need signs’.”

Richard immediately rang the North Essex Parking Partnership, which hands out the tickets, to contest it.

He said the council was not complying with the British Parking Association by not providing enough signs.

But he was told by the parking partnership there were adequate signs at the car park and he still had to pay.

A defiant Mr Ford said: “There’s nothing. No signs at all.

“The only ones are on the actual ticket machines and they are difficult to spot.”

He added: “Every other car park in Colchester has a great big sign at the entrance saying how you pay.

“ This one doesn’t any longer.”

Mr Ford added: “In hindsight I should have known, I have parked there before.

“But the car park had just been reopened and when I didn’t see any signs or machines I just thought they had reopened it before putting the new machines in.”

Mr Ford has challenged the ticket and is expecting an answer in 14 days.

He said: “I am not one to defraud the system.

“I was quite prepared to pay and even have the MiPermit app on my phone but there were no signs telling me how to.”

Priory Street car park reopened earlier this month after undergoing £500,000 of changes whch include wider disabled spaces and new lighting.

The car park had been closed for 16 weeks while the works were undertaken.

A North Essex Parking Partnership spokesperson said there was signage.

He said: “Priory Street car park is a pay and display area and has recently been refurbished.

“There are six pay and display machines on the site, which are all near notice boards giving the car park tariffs.

“Payments can be made either at the machine or via the MiPermit cashless parking system, details of which are also displayed in the car park.

“To ensure maximum parking availability for customers, the North Essex Parking Partnership undertakes enforcement and can issue a penalty change notice, for example, to vehicles parked without a valid ticket.

“If a motorist believes a penalty change notice has been issued incorrectly, they can challenge it by submitting a written appeal to the North Essex Parking Partnership, which will enable the particular circumstances of the case to be considered.

“A reply giving further details of the outcome of any challenge will be sent to the motorist.”