A FRUSTRATED lorry driver has been locked in a six month battle to overturn an “unjust” £240 parking fine after visiting a hotel to enjoy a musical show.

Stuart Chapman visited the Dragonfly Hotel, in Colchester, last November for The Colchester Keyboard and Piano Show.

Leaving his vehicle in the hotel car park, he was asked to provide his vehicle registration number at reception to allow parking for the event without charge.

But he was left horrified when he was slapped with a £100 parking fine just days after the event.

That fine has since risen to around £240, with Mr Chapman, of Ipswich Road, Colchester, left frustrated in his attempts to resolve the issue.

Mr Chapman, 55, said: “I had tried contacting the hotel to get the unjust fine withdrawn many times.

"I have given all the details requested by the hotel but they have wanted nothing to do with it.

"It is hugely frustrating because I made sure I did everything I had to do to make sure I had parked correctly.

“Where perhaps I used to go on occasion to the hotel for events, I certainly have no intention of going there again after the way this has been handled.

“You do not want to end up facing a near £300 bill.

“My worry is there were lots of pensioners and older people attending the show.

“If they faced similar bills perhaps they would pay rather than go through this hassle.”

Mr Chapman had been willing to take his case to court if necessary, as the charge keeps on rising.

But after the Gazette contacted the hotel for comment, the company agreed to pay the charge.

The car park is run by a third party company, but is used for guests’ vehicles.

Ray Dowsett, managing director of Dragonfly Hotels, said: “Creative Car Park Solutions are contracted for the safekeeping of our guests’ vehicles, to ensure that 24 hour surveillance is fully operational and for our guests to park comfortably due to the location.

“All guests enter their own details into the car parking system to ensure correct details are given. As our commitment to customer service and a gesture of goodwill, Dragonfly Hotels have since paid this debt to the third party company.”

Mr Chapman added: “My main reason for pursuing this is to encourage others to fight against such action and for those attending the same event to share their experiences.

“More importantly this highlights how even if following the laid down procedure, using a vehicle registration identifier, you can still be subjected to such fines.”