Digital Phone Company in Fakenham pay for shoppers PCN

Digital Phone Company in Fakenham wanted to thank people for shopping locally, by covering two parking tickets received this December for drivers who parked in the market town to support local businesses this Christmas.

The competition was the idea of Richard King, sales director at the shop, who received notices, called a few weeks ago.

Mr King said: “I got a ticket after parking at Millers Walk car park, got out of the car and went to the shop for five hours before I realised my mistake.

Richard King, sales director at Digital Phone Company in Fakenham (Image: Richard King)

“I did not put a ticket on the car, and got the PCN of £25 and paid it off - it was my mistake.

“That got me thinking that there are people who couldn’t afford that at this time of year.”

Mr King stressed that the shop wanted to make sure it was helping people who were unlucky and was not rewarding people for bad parking. 

There were terms and conditions - such as the ticket being issued for forgetting to get a parking ticket or not purchasing a parking ticket for the full duration of their stay in Fakenham town centre which resulted in a parking charge.

The business did not consider higher band offences or where people have parked in a manner which inconvenienced others, such as parking in a disabled bay when not permitted to do so.

The 47-year-old said the winners, who have been announced on its Facebook post, will receive the £25 at the shop, but they are still responsible for paying the charge.

Digital Phone Company in Fakenham (Image: Richard King)

Mr King said he was surprised by the reaction to the competition.

“We were not sure how it would be revived, but we got a dozen or so comments, one person said it was lovely, and someone else tagged a friend with a PCN who will be a winner,” he said.