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A DRIVER is fuming after a car park meter charged her £60 - and claimed her motor had been there for more than FIFTY years.

Suzy Jennifer was stunned when the meter suggested she had been parked at Salisbury District Hospital, Wilts, since 1970.

She is one of a string of visitors complaining about the newly-installed ticket machines outside the hospital.

Suzy said: "When I tried to pay, the system told me I owed £56 and had been there since 1970.

"Considering I wasn’t born, then it’s pretty good going to be able to have parked my car there."

And she posted a photo of the machine's screen showing the £56 charge on the Salisbury Journal Facebook page.

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Another visitor, Karen Swinger, had to deal with the new "nightmare" ticket machines in car park two at the hospital after attending an eye clinic on February 9.

Considering I wasn’t born, then it’s pretty good going to be able to have parked my car there.

She said she had only been able to input three characters of her car registration.

Karen, who lives in the city, downloaded the Apcoa Connect app to pay for her two-and-a-half-hour parking session but claims the automatic numberplate recognition hadn't picked up her car as she came in.

And she was unable to pay the £4.50 fee, which left her 'completely stressed out'.

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She said, "It's just completely out of order.

"I had to drive out panicking and thinking I'm going to get a fine because I couldn't pay for my parking."

PARKED OFF

Karen said there were 'two or three' other people left confused at the parking machine in the same situation.

She continued: "It's an absolute nightmare for people.

"They have to sort it and pre-warn people."

After going inside the hospital to ask for help, Karen claims the receptionist said it 'is not our problem'.

Shockingly, other visitors have had similar problems.

Tracy Jackson said: "Queues into the road at the machines, couldn’t download the app as no signal, the machine didn’t recognise our reg, so finally managed to pay but seemed very unfair as others didn’t and you could still leave the car park!"

A spokesperson from the hospital apologised: "if anyone has been inconvenienced."

"The new parking process enables visitors and patients to pay in a number of different ways, which include cash, card and online.

"The hourly rates have not changed and there is no charge for the first 30 minutes to allow people to drop off and collect.

Read more on The Sun

"Blue Badge holders continue to receive free parking and Blue Badges can be validated online, which is a once-only action, or for six months at the Main Reception, the Cashiers Office or Facilities HQ.

"Additional locations to validate blue badges, including the Spinal Unit, the Hospice and the PALS office, are being added to make accessibility easier. Discounts for those making frequent trips to the hospital apply as before."

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