Four members of Newport Male Voice Choir were slapped with parking fines totalling £600 while the group gave a concert, the Advertiser can reveal.
The members, including the conductor, were each given £150 parking fines at the Swan Pub car park while they attended the Welsh Night celebration at Cosy Hall last weekend.
Having left their cars parked on the premises without pay and display tickets they returned to find the tickets slapped on their windscreens by Simplex Parking.
Honorary choir member Phil Evans had travelled all the way from Wolverhampton for the concert.
“I am frustrated by the way it was done,” he said.
“When I parked a young lad came up to me in the car park and said it was £3 to park if you don’t go in the pub.
“I said I was going to the concert and then to the pub for a drink afterwards. He just walked away and then when I came back I had this fine on the car.
“When I went into the pub I mentioned the fine and the people in there were up in arms. When I went back the next day on Sunday the landlord didn’t want to know.”
Choir Chairman David Tooth said he was sorry that people who supported the group were fined, adding the regeneration work on Water Lane car park had added to the shortage of spaces.
Swan Inn Landlord Nigel Pugh said choir members were told to pay and display but they ignored the advice.
He said: “If they were coming back into the pub then we would have given them an orange pass but no-one came in to see me.
“There is a shortage of parking in Newport, I’m running a business and I need spaces for the residents of my hotel to park.”
A spokesman for Simplex Parking, which operates across the country, said clear signage is displayed on site with the parking conditions.
He said: “The pub operate a pay and display scheme on the car park.
“Anyone using it must stay on site and if they leave they must buy and display a ticket for £3.
“We received a call from the lady on duty that night, who works for the pub, who said they had problems with parking and we went down to issue fines to any vehicles not displaying tickets.
“Members of the choir were told about the conditions but apparently they walked away. We feel the tickets have been issued correctly. If any further information comes to light we will look at that and we are happy to consider appeals.”
