'I was fined £100 for supporting Dunfermline town centre shops'

Like many of your readers, I received a flurry of ‘Black Friday’ emails encouraging me to visit my local store to enjoy a festive deal. As we’re redecorating in time for Christmas, I opted to skip the online-only offers and support my local stores at the Carnegie Drive Retail Park. First stop – B&Q. I parked outside and headed in there first to stock up on a trolley full of home furnishings, wallpaper and freshly-mixed paint. I then walked over to Matalan to pick up a Click and Collect order. After depositing my parcels in my car, I remembered that I wanted to look for some Christmas extras in B&M. So, I drove a few hundred yards, parked outside and headed in there. As I left B&M, I noticed Pagazzi lighting had a Black Friday deal too so I stopped off in there to see if they had lamps I was looking for – alas not. Finally done, I left around 2pm. 

My husband and I have a two-year-old son who was at nursery that day while I was on annual leave – these are the sort of errands and decisions which are best made without a toddler to keep entertained. And I confess, shopping on my own is a treat these days so I took my time. 

Imagine how furious I was when I received a letter from Civil Enforcement Ltd declaring that I had incurred a parking fine for £100. I was legitimately shopping in the stores at the retail park and spent hundreds of pounds in three stores, supporting shops in our town. I am pursuing an appeal but I am frustrated that I even need to do so. 

The British High Street is facing its greatest crisis with exorbitant business rates, rent, increased staff costs and shoppers heading online in their droves.

There are some things you have to buy in store as I did and there are some die-hards like me who want to buy in a shop and support the retail industry but how can they survive when customers like me are faced with utterly unfair parking charges as a reward for our custom? 

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