Drivers are being urged to hold on to parking tickets for at least three months after a Pembrokeshire motorist faced an unexpected fine.

Carmel McNulty had parked in the Dew Street carpark in Haverfordwest while she went to the local picture framers.

She bought a ticket as usual and displayed in on the dashboard of her car.

So far so good. However nine days later Carmel received ‘a very strong worded threatening letter’ from parking company Parkingeye telling her that she was being fined £60, increasing to £100 for not having a parking ticket on that day.

“I got the letter after getting home after a long journey,” said Carmel. “It was a very strong-worded threatening letter, demanding payment, despite the fact that I had paid my car park fee.

“My immediate reaction on receiving the Parkingeye letter was one of feeling threatened, intimidated, shocked, surprised and dismayed,” she said.

“I felt anger and disbelief that a parking company could be so demanding for one to pay up or else.”

Carmel could not contact Parkingeye by phone, the only phone number on the front of the letter was for payment and the only contact details were a PO box address.

She spent a morning searching through some ‘very smelly recycling bags’ to find her ticket but to no avail.

She did eventually find her ticket when she dropped her handbag and among the contents that came spilling out was the missing parking ticket.

Carmel tracked down ATEB for whom Parkingeye manage the car park. Carmel said that the housing association was incredibly helpful and believed her when she said that she had bought a ticket.

“ATEB staff were excellent and helpful,” she said. “They dealt with my complaint and spoke with Parkingeye.

“I did end up with a written apology from Parkingeye because of ATEB staff contacting them.”

However, Carmel is concerned that other motorists might not be so lucky and might end up paying the fine because of the tone of the letter from Parkingeye and because it is so difficult to speak to somebody at the company in person.

“Because the letter is so intimidating, one could be very inclined just to pay up despite having paid at their parking machine,” she said.

“What about all people who had paid and have not kept their parking ticket for two weeks?”

“It does say in the small print on the ticket to keep them but how many people read that?

“If you pay cash for your parking, then you have got no proof that you’ve bought the ticket apart from the ticket itself.

“I want to remind people that we must keep Parkingeye tickets. And to all who may encounter a demanding letter- from Parkingeye, “If you believe that you have paid for a ticket, just be prepared to challenge it don’t be intimidated into paying up on receiving one of their letters.”