Leighton Buzzard shoppers mistakenly fined over Christmas in Marks and Spencer parking fiasco

Marks and Spencer customers who visited the Grovebury Retail Park between the hours of 6am and 7am, from December 21 to 24, to do their Christmas shopping have complained about being penalised by parking company UK Parking Control Ltd (UKPC), who run the parking at the site.

M&S changed its store opening time from 7am to 6am during this time, unfortunately not in line with the restricted no parking period, 11.30pm to 7am.

One aggrieved shopper, Jamie Norman, from Dunstable, received a penalty notice through the post for parking on December 23 at 6.37am.

He said: “I was shocked. My first reaction when I read the letter was where the hell have I parked to get fined £60.

“I went to the store over Christmas to beat the rush and thought I had parked in good faith.

“It’s not right. M&S can’t think it is either for people going in to their store.”

Other angry shoppers have complained to the Observer, with one lady saying on Facebook: “I just got one too from 6am on 22/12. I nipped in to M&S!”

Mr Norman has appealed his fine and says he won’t be paying it. M&S has since told Jamie that UKPC are at fault as due to Covid restrictions and furlough they didn’t turn cameras off between 6-7am. It is also rumoured that some M&S staff working night shifts have been fined, but this is unconfirmed.

M&S has subsequently apologised.

A spokesperson said: “Due to a change in opening hours between December 21 and 24, customers who used the car park at our Leighton Buzzard store between 6am and 7am on these days were incorrectly fined.

“We have worked with the car park operator to cancel all of these fines and no further action is required by customers. We are sorry for any inconvenience this has caused.”

M&S added that the team is happy to discuss the matter in-store with any affected customers.

The Grovebury Retail Park is now owned by Nottinghamshire County Council and is being managed by Workman LLP according to the previous owners, Claymore Group LLP.

The county council and Workman, along with UKPC were asked to comment, but they failed to do so before our press deadline.