And finally…parking for free in Scotland – don’t believe the hype

Combined Parking Solutions took Edward Wales to court for parking in a SkyPark car park used by McDonald’s customers on 33 occasions last year for longer than the two-hour limit.

Mr Wales, who said he had read on the internet that the private parking fees were not enforceable in Scotland, reached a settlement with the company before a civil hearing.

Combined Parking Solutions warned that the case illustrated that there was a misconception in Scotland that drivers could park in private car parks with impunity.

There are a number of red signs at the car park site on Houldsworth Street in the west of Glasgow warning of the maximum stay conditions for customers of the nearby McDonalds restaurant.

If they stay more than two hours they receive a fixed parking charge of £100 which is reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days. It increases to £150 per ticket to cover costs if it remains unpaid.

The company claimed that on each occasion Mr Wales was issued with a ticket he did not appeal, and that he later said he had been told and read online that charges for private parking were not enforceable in Scotland.

Mike Perkins, operations manager of Combined Parking Solutions, said: “Yet again this is another case of someone logging onto the internet forums or listing to unqualified people that parking charges are not enforceable and yet again the courts agree they are fully enforceable and they continue to do so.

“If Mr Wales had consulted a real solicitor from the outset he would have only received one charge at £60 and not almost £3,000.”