A local woman who recently received a parking fine in Enniskillen town centre was shocked to discover that it was due to her car not being parked “wholly within the markings” of the parking bay.

The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, claims that she wasn’t able to park fully within the lines of the bay at Market Street, Enniskillen, as another vehicle was obstructing part of the space.

However, she wasn’t aware that this is a fineable offence, and she now wishes to warn others who also may not be aware.

“Yes, I know I have done wrong where they [the parking warden] is concerned, but I couldn’t get parked because of the other car.

“If I had parked the way I wanted to park into it, the car next to me would have hit me coming out,” said the woman, who received a penalty charge notice with a fine of £90, which is reduced to £45 if paid within 28 days, for “not parking wholly within the markings of the bay”.

‘Totally unaware’

“I was totally unaware of the fact that if you’re not within the two lines, you’re [penalised], so I just want to warn other people,” she added.

In relation to the matter, a spokesperson for Fermanagh and Omagh District Council said: “The Council can confirm that vehicles in an off-street car park must park wholly within the markings of the bay or space.

“Vehicles which are seen to be not parked wholly within the markings of the bay or space, will be issued with a penalty charge notice under Contravention Code 86.

“Details of the Contravention Codes are available on the NI Direct website [at https://tinyurl.com/bdz3nven].”

The woman also aired her frustration over the size of the parking spaces in the new car park at Quay Lane.

“I had to move my car three times out of spaces because I thought the doors of the car next to me are going to hit me, and I don’t have a big car!

“I don’t understand these spaces, the sizes they are, and that’s a brand-new car park,” she told this newspaper.

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