A TAXI driver was fined £95 for supposedly staying in a car park for 15 hours and 32 minutes, despite only being there for less than half an hour.

Keith Harvey has blamed the surveillance system at Homebase, in St Andrew’s Avenue, Colchester, for the blunder.

Mr Harvey, of Gainsborough Drive, Manningtree, said he had visited the store on two consecutive days, and did not stay for longer than 30 minutes in total.

The 66-year-old, who received the fine on Tuesday, said he arrived at the car park at about 7pm, on New Year’s Day, to find the store was shut, and drove away immediately.

He returned at about 10am the next day to have his car cleaned.

Mr Harvey argues the cameras which monitor the car park failed to spot him leaving on January 1 or returning the next day.

When Mr Harvey complained, the store agreed to waive the fine.

He said: “It’s not so much the fine that annoyed me, but the fact their system must be faulty.

“Something must be wrong when they said my car had been there for more than 15 hours when it hadn’t.

“How many more people have been sent fines when there has been a fault?”

Homebase’s car park is managed by private enforcement company G24 Parking Solutions, which uses automatic number plate recognition technology to calculate how long vehicles stay.

Homebase spokesman Simon Bibby said: “The store has a limited amount of parking space available for customers.

“To ensure genuine customers have the convenience of parking outside the store, Homebase sub-contracted the management of the car park to G24.

“As a result, we cannot control or be held responsible for the issuing of parking fines or the management policy of the car park. Homebase is sympathetic to genuine shoppers who may exceed the time limit.

“If this occurs, customers are required to contact a store staff member.”

G24 declined to comment.