A CATBROOK mother is having second thoughts about shopping in Monmouth after being fined for parking outside a bay despite having a valid ticket.

Nicky Lee had come into the town for her weekly shop with her five month old baby, Francesca. She drove into Glendower Street car park and parked outside a bay so that she could fully open the door in order to get the baby out of the car. Having bought a ticket, Mrs Lee was horrified on returning from shopping to discover that she had been fined.

"Perhaps the parking attendant did not notice the 'baby on board' sticker, perhaps he did not notice the newborn car seat, perhaps he does not understand that in order to get a baby out of the car the rear door has to be fully opened," said Mrs Lee.

"In the Glendower Street car park there are no facilities for mothers with babies and in a crowded car park if I park totally within the bay I would not be able to get the baby out of the car."

Mrs Lee added: "It would be very easy to just go to Waitrose, who are very well set up for mothers with babies, but since moving to the area in December, I try to make my contribution to the wellbeing of Monmouth's retailers by also driving to Glendower Street in order to shop at the top of the town and the butcher baker and greengrocer, all of which I could more easily do in Waitrose. My reward for this is to be fined!"

Mrs Lee has sent a cheque for the fine to Monmouthshire County Council but says that if it is cashed it will be the last time that she will make a personal effort to keep Monmouth alive.

"I too will become another who drive to Waitrose and never spend money with other retailers. The Council's attitude to the need of mothers with babies is a disgrace and its support of local retailers a bad joke.

"I feel that this attitude will drive shoppers away from Monmouth."

David Evans, Chairman of Monmouth Chamber of Commerce, said he sympathised with Mrs Lee. "It's precisely the kind of complaint we have been trying to eliminate from the town."

While a number of good things had been achieved through the introduction of the County Council's Three Towns' Initiative, one common complaint was that the imposition of fines on motorists using the towns' car parks had frequently damaged the good image they had been working to create.

"Since the introduction of a parking tariff there has been an acceptance that charges remain competitive with other towns of similar size and character. What is not acceptable is the eccentric way in which fines are being imposed, " said Mr Evans.

"A small collection of letters suggests that the attendants apply a regime that is at best ludicrous and at worst, Draconian.

"People who have shopped in Monmouth for many years have complained that there is no latitude given and this most recent letter from Mrs Lee indicates the potential damage that is being caused to independent retailers by the apparent inflexibility of the system.

"When challenged County Hall will ordinarily defend their position by saying that payment of £1 will satisfy the conditions governing overstay. This is clearly not understood by most people. So far as 'improper' parking is concerned, I suspect a different penalty applies. Car park users such as Mrs Lee should be encouraged for their loyalty to the local economy, not persecuted because the Council does not understand the need for classification between able and disabled drivers. Private facilities, such as those provided by Waitrose, have long accommodated the special needs of mothers and babies - it should not be beyond the wit of officialdom to do the same."

Mr Evans said the Chamber of Commerce would be highlighting the incident to the County's new Area Manager, Lee Robson, and the appropriate department at County Hall.

At the time of going to press, no response to Mrs Lee's complaint had been received from Monmouthshire County Council.