Why this Saltburn big band musician was fined £100 for using a Hartlepool pub's customer car park during gig

Bass player Adrian Beadnell was issued with the penalty a week after parking in the Park Inn’s customer car park in Park Road while playing a gig there.

He did not realise he needed to enter his vehicle’s registration as part of updated parking regulations introduced by the pub’s management since he last played there before the pandemic.

The pub brought in the measures due to non-customers using the car park. It is free but patrons now have to enter their details inside the pub.

But Adrian, 66, from Saltburn, who played in a Sunday afternoon Musicians Unlimited big band gig, was unaware of the change.

An appeal to the parking enforcement company has been rejected although he now plans to take it to an independent appeals service.

Adrian said: “I’d not been at the Park Inn for a couple of years so parked up near the front doors, as I’d always done, to unload heavy equipment and noticed the sign Park Inn – Customer Parking Only.

"This was always the case, as the previous owner had problems with people parking and then shopping in the town, so I didn’t take much notice of it.”

Adrian, who has organised and taken part in many fundraising concerts over the years, said nobody inside told him he needed to provide his registration.

He added: “As a pensioner this is a very large amount of money but what really hurts is the fact that I’ve given up my Sunday to entertain their customers and it cost me £15 in diesel to do so.”

In correspondence, the parking company Civil Enforcement said the ticket was issued correctly, adding: “There are many clear and visible signs displayed on the site advising drivers of the regulations in force”.

Park Inn manager Tracy Bell said they brought in the enforcement as people were abusing the car park.

People can enter their registration details on an iPad or by scanning one of three QR codes at tills.

Tracy said: “We have no control over the company. While I do sympathise there’s nothing I can do.”

A former Hartlepool publican has offered Adrian a £60 tab at his pub in Skelton, east Cleveland, after hearing of his story.