A Shropshire woman hit by a £70 parking fine despite parking off the street has vowed to fight her corner – and has taken her case to her MP.

Stephanie Lee, of Lower Broad Street, in Ludlow, said she had parked her vehicle off the road near her home for years without problems and had appealed against a parking ticket handed out to her on July 16.

But she was stunned to be told that the double yellow lines on the road applied for the paved off-road section too.

She has since taken the matter up with her solicitors and south Shropshire MP Philip Dunne and has called for greater consistency to be shown by wardens and enforcement officers.

Miss Lee said she only earned £63 a week and questioned whether the fines were being handed out to ease the flow of traffic or to boost council coffers.

She said: I have lived in the area for seven years and it’s a recognised parking spot – I’ve parked here every day. I’m going to contest this – I have been to see my solicitors and they are looking into the legalities of this.

“I have also raised this with Philip Dunne.

Frustrating

“Lower Broad Street has won Ludlow in Bloom’s best street award for the past two years and, collectively, we spent a fortune on plants and making the place look nice. It’s just so frustrating when things like this then happen.

“In places like Lower Raven Street people even park on the cobbles. I just think there should be some consistency.”

In a letter to Miss Lee rejecting her challenge, a spokesman for Shropshire Council’s parking service said: “The area the vehicle was parked on is considered public highway and therefore comes within the traffic regulation order.

“Public highway stretches from the centre of the carriageway to the wall or hedge boundary including all verges.

“A vehicle is not permitted to park on double yellow lines other than for the purposes of loading or unloading, or for allowing passengers to board or alight.

“Notes made by the parking civil enforcement officer show there was no suggestion of either activities taking place when the notice was issued, therefore the penalty charge notice was correctly issued and the challenge has been unsuccessful.”

By Peter Kitchen