Heavily pregnant woman fined £90 for parking in mother and toddler bay at Tesco

Because she was finding it hard to get around, she parked in a mother-and-toddler space to be closer to the supermarket.

Half an hour later she struggled back to the car with her shopping to find a £90 parking ticket on the windscreen.

She contacted Tesco, which referred her to car park operator Safe Park.

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The company simply informed her that, because there was no image of a pregnant woman painted on or near the bay, she should not have parked there.

Miss Howard, who was still waiting to go into labour as she entered her 42nd week of pregnancy yesterday, said: "I parked in the mother-and-toddler space because I thought heavily pregnant women who were struggling could do that.

"I was only about 30 minutes in the shop so they must have been watching me get out of the car and then whacked the fine on the windscreen."

Miss Howard, a children's nursery manager, and her 33-year-old partner, pharmaceutical salesman Peter Donovan, were taken aback by the parking company's response.

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"When I contacted Safe Park UK who issued the fine to explain that I was more than nine months pregnant and wasn't aware that a pregnant woman is not permitted to use these spaces, I was told that because there wasn't a picture of a pregnant woman in the bay that I couldn't park there.

"Instead of relaxing and looking forward to the birth of my child, I had the worry of finding payment for £90 looming over me."

Miss Howard, who lives in Leicester, added: "I am just so angry that I have been treated like this.

"They need to define what they mean by mother and toddler parking."

She also contacted the owner of the land at the Beaumont Leys Shopping Centre on the outskirts of the city.

She was told that as it was leased to Safe Park UK she would have to take the matter up with them.

Fortunately-Tesco, which apologisedto Miss Howard yesterday, has agreed to pay the £90 if she takes her ticket into its store.

The company also said it would "rectify the situation with Safe Park". However, the parking company itself was unrepentant.

Brian Walker, operations manager of Safe Park UK, declared: "There are signs saying that if you park here and you don't have a child then you will be fined and this lady did not have a child.

"Pregnancy is not a disability. It is a lifestyle choice and these bays are aimed at being wider for buggies."

Mr Walker added: "If someone has a broken leg and they need a wider bay then we will show compassion and let them park there.

"However, under UK law a mother with a child of 17 could park there because under UK law they are still classed as a child."

A Tesco spokesman said: "We are very sorry that this has happened to Laura, but in this case it is not a Tesco car park.

"We will pay the fine and we are trying to rectify the situation with Safe Park UK."