Sheffield nurses’ parking fines overturned

Staff were told they could park at the nearby The Francis Newton pub on Clarkehouse Road, Broomhill, after it was forced to close due to coronavirus restrictions.

However, several were shocked to later find they had been fined hundreds of pounds by a private parking company.

Pub chain JD Wetherspoon, which owns the pub, said NHS staff "categorically" should not have been fined and any tickets sent out will be cancelled.

The pub said the fines had not come from it.

One nurse said: "We were told we could park there, but I then got a fine for five days all in one go.

“It was a £75 fine per day, reduced to £45 if I paid it quickly. I'm expecting another fine today, because I've parked there two weeks’ running.

"It's been a really big help being able to park there because it's so close to the hospital."

Wetherspoon said it would take action to cancel the fines immediately.

Eddie Gershon, for the firm, said: “NHS workers can park in our pub car park free of charge.

“They categorically should not be fined and any tickets that have been sent out will be cancelled.

“The parking tickets have not come from Wetherspoon.

"A total of 92 NHS staff have used the free parking facility so far and Wetherspoon will continue to offer this facility to them."

The car park at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital has also been opened up free of charge for staff and visitors.

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