Motorists who fell foul of a tightening up of restrictions at a city centre car park on market days understood that the penalty charge notices (PCNs) with which they were issued had been cancelled.

But last week several of them received notification that they were being fined the maximum £70 for parking in spaces set aside for traders in the Gombards car park in May.

Until the regulations in the car park were tightened up, regular users knew that spaces would be restricted on market days to give priority to traders but there was no specific ban on using them.

Three colleagues at a St Albans company were issued with PCNs after the market bays were painted red even though the new signs that went up that did not specifically reference the market day restrictions on the red bays.

The council’s head of legal, democratic and regulatory services, Michael Lovelady, said that the ‘handful of PCNs’ that had been issued at that time would be cancelled to give car park users more time to get used to the new arrangement.

The workmates thought that was the end of the matter but last week Phil Blackwell and two of his colleagues at a St Albans company were re-sent PCNs telling them they now owed £70.

Phil said he was amazed that the council had gone against their comment that they would cancel the PCNs in the Herts Advertiser story in May.

Mr Lovelady confirmed that the council had decided to cancel some PCNs issued to users of the car park at that time. He said Phil’s ticket would be cancelled and he apologised for any confusion caused.

He added: “If anyone else has a PCN that they feel should have been cancelled for the same reason, they can contact our parking enforcement team on 01727 869593 for advice.”