FUMING Town fans are today facing £70 fines after using a car park in the town centre during home games.Colin Bailey, 54, said he was one of about 100 drivers who were handed the penalty last month, after parking in the Felaw Maltings car park in Mather Way, off Hawes Street, Ipswich.
FUMING Town fans are today facing £70 fines after using a car park in the town centre during home games.
Colin Bailey, 54, said he was one of about 100 drivers who were handed the penalty last month, after parking in the Felaw Maltings car park in Mather Way, off Hawes Street, Ipswich.
The private car park is often used by Ipswich Town fans attending home games at Portman Road and Mr Bailey parked up for the game against Burnley.
Mr Bailey, of Burrows Close, Lawford, near Manningtree, said he has used the car park for three years and has never received a ticket in the past.
Once he had been given the ticket he realised there were signs saying the car park was restricted, but said they had not been prominent.
The civil servant added: “I understand they don't want people parking there during the day but on a Saturday, when the only people parking there are football fans, why does it matter?
“I've been parking there for three years and never had a ticket. If they wanted to stop people parking in the car park why not just put the barrier down?”
He added that the company had a legal right to fine motorists but felt that of the notice not to park there had been effective, there would not have been so many cars at the site and so many people with fines.
Another Ipswich Town fan, Rupert Baker, said he was also handed a parking ticket on New Year's Day when he used the car park during the match against West Bromwich Albion.
He said: “We have been parking our vehicle in Felaw Malting Ipswich - the car park of the Ipswich Chambers of Commerce.
“We had the permission of the chairman of the chamber around 3 years ago to park there.
“What has happened is disgraceful. There has been no warning.”
The car park is managed by property firm Jones Lang Lasalle which has employed a specialist parking company to enforce regulations.
A spokesman for the company was unable to comment on the situation.
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