I AM sure that I am not the only Warrington resident and Warrington Guardian reader to receive a very unwelcome and unexpected parking notice letter from UKPC.

The letter notified me of a £100 charge for not parking strictly within the marked bays at Riverside Retail Park.

No doubt, numerous similar notices will have been issued to residents caught at other car parks UKPC manages in the area.

You might argue it is my own fault for not parking more carefully within the parking bay markings, but a £100 penalty, or £60 if paid in 14 days, seems a ridiculously harsh charge for such action, especially in what was at best a half-full car park.

Why should this matter to other Warrington Guardian readers and residents?

Well, for one thing, the issuing of such notices may well cause a further loss of customer traffic to those retail parks that are already experiencing far tougher trading conditions.

But more importantly, these car parking companies are exploiting and intimidating people on a vast scale.

Technically, they have no power to issue such ‘parking notices’, which is the prerogative of the police and local authorities.

But few recipients of these letters realise this and, threatened with the prospect of increased fines, court action and even debt collection, readily pay up.

It is time for collective action to put a stop to this car park robbery.

DR DANIEL MOSS

Warrington