Musician loses parking £100 fine appeal for parking at Hartlepool pub where he performed

Bass player Adrian Beadnell was given the parking charge notice (PCN) in October after using The Park Inn car park while playing bass with Musicians Unlimited for customers on a Sunday afternoon.

The car park is free and restricted to customers only.

Yet Adrian did not notice that he also had to register his vehicle’s details inside to get a permit while he unloaded his equipment.

He had played there several times before although the pub, which uses an outside company to manage its parking areas, had since updated its rules.

Adrian, 66, who had travelled from his home in Saltburn for the event, appealed the charge with the independent service POPLA.

But he was unsuccessful and he has had to pay the full £100, which would have been reduced to £60 if paid within two weeks.

Adrian said: “It’s unfortunate but I’m not surprised at the outcome. It’s very rare that anything is given as a pass.

"I have never parked illegally in my life before. I had played there umpteen times before with the band.

"Having seen the signs I assumed they were the same ones that were up before. It said ‘customer parking’ and I was a customer and was in there all afternoon entertaining their customers.

"A lot of people have said it stinks and it does.”

The independent appeal accepted Adrian was performing and a customer.

But it added signage in the car park stated customers must obtain a perking permit and any breach meant they would be charged £100.

They added: “It is a motorist’s responsibility when entering a car park to seek out the signage and familiarise themselves with the terms therein.”

POPLA also stated the signage complied with the British Parking Association’s standards and code of practice.

The Park Inn’s management previously told the Mail it sympathised with Adrian while insisting the charge was out of their hands.

He has contacted his MP, Simon Clarke, raising his concerns about parking enforcement firms.

Adrian has learned that a new code of practice, which would have capped most fines at £50, has been temporarily withdrawn by the Government pending a review.