A driving instructor from Plumstead was slapped with a £60 fine after using a car park in Thamesmead for five minutes to practice two bay parks at the end of a lesson.

Mark Fitzsimons, 51, has slammed the “ridiculous” and “absurd” punishment by private Dartford based company London Parking Solutions.

In his 17 years as a driving instructor in Thamesmead, it’s the first time he has ever been fined for using a car park to practice manoeuvres.

He claims he has even used the Charlesmere Gardens car park in the past without any issues.

On March 31, with five minutes left of the lesson, Mr Fitzsimons decided to use the time to practice bay parking with his student in the almost empty car park near The Princess Alice pub in Thames Road.

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Driving instructor Mark Fitzsimons has been fined for being in a car park for less than six minutes.

He claims the student reversed into the bay twice, opened the driver’s door to check the car was within the white lines, and drove off.

A few weeks later a letter dropped on his doormat with a £60 penalty.

Mr Fitzsimons told News Shopper: “We went in and out of the bay twice.

“I didn’t think any more about it until I got the letter through saying you owe us 60 quid for doing that.”

The fine was accompanied by CCTV images of Mr Fitzsimon’s car which show he was only in the car park for a total of five minutes.

He added: “I’m completely disgusted, I thought it was a joke at first.

“We were in there probably five, at a stretch six minutes.”

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Mr Fitzsimon's car and the warning poster in Charlesmere Gardens car park.

Attached to lampposts in the car park were signs warning ‘no stopping, no waiting’, except for vehicles with a valid permit or pay and display ticket.

But Mr Fitzsimons suggested it would have taken him five minutes - the same amount of time as two bay parks – to get out of the car and read the sign.

He said the car park was virtually empty at the time with only two other parked vehicles.

But despite his explanation to the parking firm Mr Fitzsimon’s was unsuccessful in his attempt to appeal the fine, which has since risen to £100.

In his appeal he said the car was being used to practice the reversing parking manoeuvre, was not left parked and was “therefore not either stopping or waiting”.

He assumed the company would realise what happened, that neither occupant got out of the car, they were there no longer than six minutes, and the fine “couldn’t go any further.”

“I thought they’d throw it out straight away on appeal,” Mr Fitzsimons added.

When asked for a response by News Shopper, London Parking Solutions chose not to respond.