MS blasts car park company as ‘parasites’ over raft of unfair fines

An MS has branded an under-fire car park company “parasites” which treats its customers with contempt.

Ken Skates says he’s already begun boycotting the car park at Island Green in Wrexham, which has become a hotspot for “grossly unfair” fines.

The MS for Clwyd South has called on nearby stores to raise their concerns with owners Euro Car Parks.

Wrexham MS Lesley Griffiths has been leading the fight against the company, and Mr Skates has taken up cases for numerous constituents.

He said: “Many of the fines are being attributed to ‘keying errors’, despite anyone who parks at Island Green being only too familiar with its erratic pay and display machines. You’d think they’d have enough money to fix them with all the grossly unfair charges they’re squeezing out of people.

“The company has been extremely dismissive of the representations I’ve made on behalf of my constituents, so it’s not just shoppers – their customers – who they treat with contempt.

“The last case I took up, it took more than three weeks to get an extremely short reply which said they wouldn’t accept my correspondence as the fine had been passed to a debt collection agency.

“They are not interested in common sense or any sense of fairness, only profits. They’re parasites.”

Mr Skates has now written to the company to request an urgent meeting.

He added: “I won’t park at Island Green any more, and I’d like to see the stores take action too. It’s their customers who are being exploited, and the more this happens the less likely they are to return and spend their money in-store.”

“What does Euro Car Parks contribute to Wrexham? The city is on the up, and these vultures are preying on local people.

“We want to see new businesses moving and setting up here – but this is one company I’m sure plenty of people would be glad to see the back of.”

Euro Car Parks were contacted for comment.