A KIRKBY Lonsdale business owner found that he was being fined for parking outside of his own shop.

JAC Beeson, 58, was issued with a £50 parking fine after he parked outside Abraham’s clothes shop in the Market Square, which he runs with his wife Josie.

JAC said: “It seems so ludicrous to me for parking outside our own business. I was in the wrong and I accept that, but it is ludicrous to punish a business when the town is closed.

“According to the CCC the traffic wardens are there to help with increased demand for parking, but the town has had no such demand as most of the spaces in the square outside our shop were empty.

“If their existence is unnecessary, I ask why they are making such an unnecessary journey. I have tried to contact the Council but have not heard back as of yet.

“We had been unable to get any deliveries sent to our shop due to Covid, so we would have to take our goods ourselves in preparation for reopening, and it is an hour’s free parking.

“This is just one more burden for our business, considering we have lost 90% of our takings.

“Fined for doing what we have to in order to get our business back up and running after the Government closed us.”

Deputy Chairman of the Town Council Alan Muirhead said: “All businesses have had enough to contend with at the moment without being pursued by over-zealous traffic wardens.

“We know these people have a thankless job, but as businesses prepare to come out of lockdown, a little thought and some communication skills would be appreciated.”

A Cumbria County Council spokesperson said: “The county council’s parking enforcement team have issued just five Penalty Charge Notices (PCN’s) in Kirkby Lonsdale during November. The vehicle was parked for over the permitted one-hour free period, during which any loading could have taken place.

“The advice from the British Parking Association and the Local Government Association regarding parking enforcement is clear, and enforcement will continue across the county.

“Civil Enforcement Officers (CEOs) can continue to work during the lockdown period as their duties cannot be performed from home and parking services are not suspended as part of lockdown stipulations.

“The council will handle the complaint through the official complaints procedure, details of which are available via the council website.”