A HOSPITAL trust has overturned a parking fine handed to a visitor who overstayed his hospital parking by 12 minutes.

who was charged £70 for overstaying his parking after taking his elderly mother for a hospital scan is battling to see the fine overturned.

Dean Smith had arrived for a morning appointment at Colchester Hospital with his parents, both aged in their eighties, in September.

His mother, who has diabetes, was due to undergo a routine scan.

Following the appointment Mr Smith followed parking machine instructions to pay £2 for his stay.

He wheeled his mother to the car, which was parked about 150 metres away.

After helping his mother into the car and loading her wheelchair in the boot, he exited the car park.

The gate opened and Mr Smith says there was no indication he had breached the rules.

But ten days later, a £70 fine dropped through his letterbox.

He said: “In the time it took me to pay, walk to the car, help my parents and leave I had overstayed by 12 minutes,” he said.

“There was nothing more I could have done to avoid this, I followed every step.”

Mr Smith has already seen an appeal, launched through the Parking on Private Land Appeals service, dismissed.

He said: “We had a reply stating that the age and motability of the hospital patients was not relevant in this case.

“I will not pay it, they will not get a penny more out of me.

“This is a hospital and this company is making money off the back of patients.”

Earlier this month it was revealed the trust has received more than £2million from patients and visitors in car parking charges as well as £600,000 in staff car parking fees.

The parking system has since changed at the hospital, with visitors required to enter their registration number when they leave to determine the length of their stay.

A spokesman for Car Parking Partnership, which operates the hospital parking, said: “We allow an appropriate time for motorists to pay for their parking and then subsequently exit the car park. However, the motorist on this occasion exceeded this and stayed in the car park longer than what was paid for.

“We offer a free 30 minute stay for all visitors to the hospital. For any stay which exceeds this 30 minutes free stay period, visitors are required to pay the hourly parking tariffs clearly displayed on the signage throughout the car park.”

Car Parking Partnership, which operates the hospital parking, said Mr Smith had exceeded his stay.

However, on hearing about his case, Fiona Sparrow, head of facilities at East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, agreed to waive the fine.

She said: “We understand it may take time for visitors to get back to their cars, particularly if they are with elderly relatives in need of extra help.

“We’ve recently increased the grace period at Colchester Hospital’s visitor car parks from 10 minutes to 30 minutes to try and take some of that pressure away to leave quickly.

“We’re grateful to Mr Smith for bringing this to our attention.”