ANGRY drivers have taken to the internet to warn people about parking at a diner by a services.

Dozens of people have posted comments on TripAdvisor and Facebook after being slapped with £100 fine for parking at Popham Diner, at the Micheldever Services.

One customer, who did not want to be named, told The Gazette that he had bought drinks in the diner only to receive the fine days later from Premier Park of Exeter, a car park management services company.

The pensioner used the cafe during a stop whilst driving from the West Country.

He said: “Ten days later I got a fine in the post for £100 from a car parking company in Exeter working in conjunction with the diner.”

He added: “This is no way to treat bona fide customers.

“This gives a very bad name for the area.

“I spent ages on calls and emails and phoning a solicitor to see where I stand.”

The man says he is contesting the fine and claims he could not see any machines to pay for parking or signs regarding parking restrictions.

However, the co-manager of the diner has hit back at the criticism and said he introduced the fine to stop people who are not visiting the diner from using the car park, which has 25 spaces.

Mark Smith said signs were put up in April warning people not to park there unless they use the diner.

He added: “Those people who have commented on TripAdvisor haven’t been customers. The car park is private property and it belongs to Popham Diner.

“People think it’s a public car park over the years. It’s not a very big car park and the diner loses business because other people park in the car park and the diner customers can’t park there.”

He said the new system had some “teething problems” which meant some genuine customers were wrongly fined, but said he will happily remove the charge for genuine customers.

Customers using the diner are asked to provide their vehicle registration number when paying, which should stop them receiving the fine.

Mr Smith said the motorway service area is separate, but admitted that this could cause confusion with people thinking the diner is part of the services.

He added: “If they are a genuine customer they don’t have to pay. If people read the signs, and there are sufficient signs out there, as far as the police are concerned, we aren’t breaking the law. If people can’t be bothered to read the signs then what right have they to park there in the first place?”

He said the fine is £60 if paid within a set time period and there is 15 minutes grace.

He added: “We don’t want to lose genuine customers but we don’t want to provide parking for people who aren’t using the business.”