A BECKENHAM motorist has forced Bromley Council to back down over a £30 parking fine.

And more apologies could be given out as people fined for parking in the Fairfield Road area question charges they see as unfair.

As reported last month, John Ward was fined after parking in a restricted area of Fairfield Road.

He was told the area he had stopped in had parking restrictions before 10am, although this was not stated on the meter.

And a sign declaring this was nowhere near the meter which had readily accepted his 30p.

Shop owner Mr Ward, 43, has since received an apology from the council's parking shop and had the charge withdrawn.

Bromley Council's head of parking Seamus Adams said: "We have written to Mr Ward to apologise for his ticket. The plate in the parking meter in Fairfield Road was wrong and we will correct it."

Mr Ward's story prompted a deluge of calls to the News Shopper from enraged motorists.

Tracy Davies, a married office worker from Shirley, had her car impounded after a "bogus" ticket from the council.

The 41-year-old mother-of-two was astonished when she got a fine through the post last July. She had been ticketed for parking in Fairfield car park on June 12, 2000 more than a year before the ticket was issued.

But she claims at this time she was about two miles away picking her children up from their school in West Wickham.

On January 4, her L-reg Vauxhall Corsa was taken away from outside her home and impounded.

She said: "I've written and spoken to both the council and their bailiffs Crichtons but neither will take any responsibility.

"I had to pay out £622 to get my car out of the pound and I've done absolutely nothing wrong.

"It's ridiculous."

Mr Adams said he was unable to speak about the matter.

Anthony Goodman, of Village Way, Beckenham, says he has been sent a string of bogus fines since September last year.

The 41-year-old was suspicious when a parking fine arrived in the post last October, telling him he had parked illegally in Fairfield Road in August.

Mr Goodman immediately appealed to the council, saying he was nowhere near Fairfield Road at the time of the ticket andthere must be a mistake.

But the structural engineer has been left incredulous in past months as the phantom tickets have continued to drop through his letter box.

Out of desperation, Mr Goodman paid two of the fines on his credit card while he was trying to find out what was happening at the parking shop.

His astonishment turned to fury when his four requests for a receipt for the £150 payment were ignored by the authority.

He says he is now seeking legal advice about the charges.

"I've got three different fines here, all of which were sent through the post so late I couldn't even have got a quick-payment reduction if I wanted to.

"All my tickets have been handed out by different attendants, which seems to suggest it isn't one rogue warden playing the system. I'm unhappy with what has gone on. I want my money back."

Mr Adams said it was difficult to comment about Mr Goodman's complaint as there did not seem to be any correspondence with him.