A motorist says he is “frightened” of visiting an out-of-town retail park after getting a parking fine for allegedly over-staying.

And Andrew Sutton, of Grange Moor, warned that car park operators at Gallagher Retail Park in Waterloo risked driving away shoppers by slapping unwarranted fines on drivers parking there.

Mr Sutton said that shortly before 5pm on June 8 he parked at the retail park to buy some sweets at Home Bargains and was there for only 10 minutes before driving off.

Just before 10pm he returned to buy his daughter some food at the McDonald’s drive-through and was there about five minutes. His Vauxhall Corsa was caught on video leaving the car park at 9.56pm.

Stock pic: Gallagher retail park, Waterloo. Aldi, M&S.

Now Mr Sutton has been sent a demand for £60 for overstaying.

He said: “The images have shown my car leaving – but I hadn’t been there for five hours! I’m a law-abiding citizen and I’m completely in the right, but I’ll probably end up paying.

“I’m frightened to go back there now. I don’t know what’s going to happen if I go back to that car park.”

And he added: “The retailers there need to know that this is going to drive customers away.”

Mr Sutton’s case is one of several involving Gallagher Retail Park and Chorley-based ParkingEye which has been controlling the car park since 2008.

Michelle Roberts, of Almondbury, was fined for over-staying the permitted parking time of two hours after she and her husband Dennis made separate trips to the retail park in a single day in the same car.

And Linda Hughes, of Highburton, was fined £60 for over-staying by 20 minutes while shopping for several people.

The Examiner contacted Parking Eye for comment but has not yet received a response.