We were promised that we wouldn't need to pay

My wife and I returned late on Sunday night, October 31, from two weeks abroad and drove onto the car park, having been through the barrier and receiving a ticket, which was the usual practice (no car park fee was required when attending the medical centre!).

When we came to leave the car park, the machine wouldn't raise the barrier to let me out, unless -- surprise, surprise -- I paid a car park fee.

There had not been a notice on the entrance to the car park warning of the imposition of this new charge, and when I pressed the help button and explained that I had no cash on me because of our late flight home the previous night, I received the reply that nothing could be done about it except to contact the car park owners -- Harcourt Ltd. In effect we were locked in the car park.

Naturally, I was very annoyed and, whats more important, my sick wife was very upset.

Eventually, I was able to borrow money from the medical centre staff to pay the fee and later I returned and spoke to the manager of Total Fitness, where the pay station for the car park is situated. I was politely informed that the signs warning that a new system was in operation had been ripped down by "local yobbos".

I then contacted the manager of Harcourt Ltd who, in my opinion, was aggressive and confrontational.

When planning permission was given for the construction of the new Total Fitness centre, promises were made that there would be allowances for patients parking their cars when attending the medical centre. Now, you are only allowed 15 minutes free parking, not only to attend at the medical centre but also at the local chemists and shops adjoining the car park.

No doubt even this free period will soon disappear and the car parking fees will quickly double!

In the meantime, the unfortunate patients attending the medical centre are forced to park on the street -- much further away from the surgery -- and, as usual, are downtrodden by big business.

PATIENT