Excel Parking Sheffield: How many dodgy £100 demands over last 13 years?

That’s what Christine O’Connell wants to know after receiving a fine for ‘failing to pay’ at the Broomhill rooftop car park in 2010.

Christine, of Bank Lane, Wortley, paid £60 but later found a ticket which proved Excel had made a mistake. The firm was forced to admit its error and, after the story appeared in The Star, it made a refund.

The case has parallels with Michael Rhodes, who received a dodgy demand from Excel in January of this year. He produced a valid ticket and the firm confessed to a ‘system fault’. But it did not say how many demands were wrongly issued, or over what period.

Watchdog the Independent Parking Community - which is funded by Excel - investigated and said the issue had been resolved and refunds made, but refused to give details.

Christine said: “If I hadn’t had my ticket I would have had no recall whatsoever. They should put ‘please retain your ticket’ on the machines. There’s no independent watchdog so motorists are very much on their own.

“I have never parked at that car park since then and now that there is so little alternative parking around Broomhill I no longer shop there. I do feel sorry for the shop owners.”

The government last year published plans for a new code of practice, lower charges and an independent appeals service to clamp down on 'rogue parking firms' targeting drivers with 'unfair and extortionate charges'. But operators mounted a legal challenge that led to them being withdrawn pending further consultation.