A DISABLED driver has branded a car parking fine as “cruel” after she was billed for £160... only for the firm to reduce the fee to £10.

Patricia Faulkner parked in Clacton’s Jackson Road NCP car park on January 15.

The 58-year-old, who has spinal problems, was having physiotherapy at the St Helena Hospice building nearby, and paid for a parking ticket.

But afterwards, Patricia said she felt too dizzy and ill to drive and went to get some food and a sugary drink before she felt safe enough to get behind the wheel.

“I’ve got lots of health issues,” she said.

“I’ve had a bad back since I was 21 but it didn’t stop me working, but I had a fall and it aggravated it.

“I can’t work now. I also have a fast heart rate, which makes me feel horrible and is controlled by medication now.

“I take 11 different medications in the morning.

“A couple of times after the physio it had made me feel off afterwards.

“I came out that day and felt unwell so stopped for a coffee – I then received a fine saying that I was 10 minutes over.”

Patricia said she emailed to appeal against the fine, explaining her circumstances, but did not hear back.

She wrote a letter to NCP at the beginning of March and still heard nothing.

She has now been sent a bill from a debt collector for £160.

She added: “I called NCP and they said they emailed me and offered for me to pay £10.

“But I’ve been through my emails and there is nothing there.

“I would be happy to pay the £10 – I’m disabled so I can’t afford more.

“This is cruel. I wasn’t much over and I did pay to park.”

Patricia, who used to work at Colchester Hospital and for the ambulance trust, now has a disability badge and a mobility car.

An NCP spokesman said: “NCP was correct in issuing a parking charge notice to this customer, as she paid for two hours but stayed in the car park for two and a half hours.

“Following her appeal, we reduced the parking fee charge to just a £10 administration fee on February 5. This letter was not responded to, so we then sent a final reminder on March 6.

“Following no communication back from the customer the deadline passed and the notice then reverted to the normal fee that the customer would need to pay.

“We are unsure why our offer was not responded to, and so following the contact from The Gazette we are happy to continue to offer the £10 administration fee charge as a gesture of goodwill.”