Driving instructor’s fury at ‘unfair’ parking fine

Driving instructor Gurkan Gur pulled into a gym car park to change a tyre and was fined by a private parking company for unauthorised entry and parking

Gurkan Gur was taking a lesson when the learner clipped a kerb while he was driving the Renault Clio in Queen Street, Wigan.

The pair were eventually forced to pull up at the car park of Xercise4Less as they were driving on a tyre rim and on a busy dual carriageway on River Way.

After staying on the car park for around 20 minutes to change the tyre to a space saver, Mr Gur drove the vehicle to the nearest garage to have a new one fitted for £56.

A few days later he was then horrified to receive a parking charge notice of £60 for “unauthorised entry and parking” which has since risen to £100.

Mr Gur has appealed the fine to Premier Park, the firm who issued the notice, but they have recently rejected it.

The incident happened back on the morning of October 31 and he was issued with the fine on November 6, but he said he refuses to pay the fine.

Mr Gur, who runs Alex Cross Driving School and lives in Shevington, Wigan, said the tyre incident at the time was an “emergency”.

The 55-year-old said: “The letter Premier Park sent me shows my car going through the entrance and exit.

“At the time I wasn’t aware that if you park on the Xercise4Less car park, you have to register your car with them.

“I was driving on a busy dual carriageway and there was no safe stopping place, so we pulled up at the car park of Exercise4Less, because the other option was blocking its entrance.

“The car park was more or less empty.

“The whole episode can be seen via their video footage.

“This was an emergency situation otherwise I wouldn’t have used the car park.

“Our presence caused no obstruction since the car park was empty.”

Mr Gur said he felt the fine was “unfair.”

He said: “ I submitted an appeal to the company but they have denied the appeal.

“In their letter denying the appeal, they have threatened to recover the money through their debt recovery service if it’s not paid by a certain date.

“They have then said they may commence court action to recover what they say I owe them.

“They have also referred me to a recent court case which they said sets a precedent on all similar cases.

“I have not paid this fine yet and feel totally abhorred by the sheer unfairness and blatant arrogance of this company.”

Premier Park were unavailable for comment when approached by the Wigan Post.