ANGRY motorists were today demanding to know if they would get their clamping fines back – after it emerged that a car park should not have had pay and display machines.

ANGRY motorists were today demanding to know if they would get their clamping fines back – after it emerged that a car park should not have had pay and display machines.

The owner of the café at Felixstowe Ferry issued parking fines after drivers failed to buy tickets but now it has been revealed that he had no planning permission for the ticket machines on his site.

John Davis, owner of the Ferry Café, introduced the new parking charges after he spent £200,000 revamping the car park earlier this year.

It now appears that he had no planning permission for the signs or pay and display machines that he erected and he has been asked by Suffolk coastal to apply for planning permission for them.

Doreen Rayner, of Manor Terrace, had her car clamped in September when she stopped outside the café and failed to buy a ticket.

Instead of paying 30p for an hour she was landed with a bill for £25 for her vehicle to be released.

She said she thought it was odd Mr Davis was able to fine people without permission for the machines to be there in the first place.

She said: "When I complained to the council about this they said they could do nothing about it because it was private land. Somebody must have known that he had not applied for planning permission.

"It's too late for me, he's cashed my cheque. But I still think it's a pretty miserable thing to do. I haven't been there since and I won't be frequenting the café again."

Owner John Davis gave the car park a £200,000 makeover during the summer, transforming it from a scrappy piece of land into a level parking area with wood fenced bays, signs and ticket machine.

He was unavailable for comment today.

A spokesman for Suffolk coastal council said: "Mr Davis did not previously have permission for the machines on his site. He has now been invited by the council to apply for planning permission."