ON a stormy evening in February 2016 my wife and I went to the Odeon Cinema in Trowbridge. On returning to the car I realised that the parking ticket had blown off the dashboard onto the floor, as I had left the driver’s door window about a quarter of an inch open to admit a little fresh air. 
There was no parking notice attached to the windscreen, but as the winds were very high I thought one might possibly have been issued and had perhaps blown away, so I photocopied the ticket, and the cinema tickets and invoice, the 
timing of which left little doubt that we had a valid ticket for the occasion. 
We subsequently received a demand for £100 for failure to pay the £60 fixed penalty ticket which UK Parking Control claimed had indeed been placed on my car at the time.
I forwarded them the photocopies, explained that the evening in question had experienced unusually severe weather, with extensive storm damage across the country, that my ticket and their penalty notice had both been victims of the weather, and asked that they waived the demand. 
Their initial response was to offer a reduction to £15, but I decided not to pay. 
Over the ensuing few months I received a stream of demands, initially directly from UK Parking Control, but followed by demands from two debt collection agencies, with threats of court action. 
I continued to reply with the photocopies, and finally issued them all with a notice to ‘Cease and Desist’ from their harassment. 
After a further feeble demand or two, they indeed finally dropped the matter.
I have continued to use this car park, but now take very great care to ensure that the ticket is secure and visible, and suggest that everybody takes this precaution, perhaps with a small knob of Blu-Tack, or something similar. 
Even closing the car door can create a small disturbance and displace a ticket placed on the dashboard. 
If, however, a penalty ticket is issued, and a valid parking ticket had been obtained, I strongly suggest that drivers take a photocopy of the original, send it to UK Parking Control, and dig their heels in. 
I do not think that the courts look favourably on the methods employed by these companies.
David Maunder
Church Street
Semington