WORKINGTON’S MP is setting up a mass legal action against a car parking firm after dozens of people were fined despite paying for parking.

Sue Hayman is coordinating efforts to hold HX Car Park Management to account with a group civil claim.

It comes as more and more residents contacted her after they were fined for parking at HX’s Vulcan Lane car park in Workington, despite paying for their tickets.

Mrs Hayman has teamed up with a local solicitor firm and is working with support from the Times & Star, which highlighted the problem for the first time a year ago.

Mrs Hayman said: “I just decided that we needed to get everyone together who has either not paid their fine or paid it and shouldn’t have done so, but did so because they were feeling threatened. The message we want to send is that we won’t let them get away with it.”

Tyrone Larmour, of Cockermouth, was the first to contact the paper after he was fined £100 because three letters of his registration number were missing on his ticket when he parked on Vulcan Lane. A pattern started to emerge, with motorists saying that despite entering the correct number plate and paying, they received fines saying the registration number entered was incorrect. But when contacted by journalists and Mrs Hayman, HX denied there was any problem with the machine and maintained the fines were issued correctly.

This prompted Mrs Hayman to call for people to boycott the facility last year. And after initially offering Mrs Hayman an opportunity to meet to discuss the issues, the MP said HX bosses failed to show up.

And now, after two motorists successfully challenged their fines in court, including Mr Larmour, Mrs Hayman wants to make sure justice is done for all those who were wrongly fined. She is urging people to contact her to put together the best possible case against HX.

For more information on the legal action contact Sue Hayman MP’s office 01900 702929 or email sue.hayman.mp@parliament.uk