CUMBRIA County Council has agreed to apologise and offer compensation to a man after he claimed he was threatened and bullied over an unpaid parking charge.

The authority agreed to pay the money in recognition of 'distress and upset caused' after the man complained about his treatment by a parking enforcement agent.

The Local Government Ombudsman upheld a complaint made by the man, who is identified only as Mr X.

He filed a complaint to the watchdog, claiming the agent's 'threatening and bullying manner' had caused him 'avoidable distress'.

It was said that Mr X was handed three penalty charge notices in April 2018 for not displaying a valid parking permit in a residential area.

Mr X said he did not realise he was required to renew his resident’s permit annually following the introduction of a new parking policy by the council.

He said he wrote to the council to complain about the change in policy but did not appeal the notices.

He said this was because he received so many at the same time, that to appeal them would only address the penalty notices, 'whereas he was unhappy with the way in which the council had changed the parking permit rules'.

Enforcement of the charge was eventually passed to a private enforcement agent

A report by the LGO said: "Mr X complained to the Council on 17 March 2020. He said he received a telephone call from an enforcement agent during the previous evening and that the agent had bullied him and acted in an aggressive manner.

"Mr X said he was unwell at the time and the actions of the agent had worsened his health condition.

"Mr X asked for a recording of the telephone call as he said the agent told him the conversation was recorded."

The man then submitted a further complaint to the council over the actions of the agent, which was passed to the enforcement company by the authority.

The report said: "In August the enforcement agency responded to Mr X saying said it did not have the facilities to record its enforcement agents’ mobile telephone calls and apologised if the agent had given Mr X incorrect information about this.

"It said it therefore had no corroborative evidence to substantiate Mr X’s complaint.

"On the same day, Mr X emailed the council and said the response from the enforcement agency was not a full and fair investigation of his complaint."

The ombudsman found the council did not follow its own complaints policy in dealing with Mr X's grievance.

The LGO investigator said: "I consider this indicates the council did not #proceed with an investigation to gather all information' as set out in its complaints procedure.

"I also consider the length of time taken to provide a response is evidence of delay. This delay, together with the lack of an agreed response time and further investigation of the complaint is fault by the council."

The county council has agreed to say sorry to Mr X, offering him £100.

It has also reminded staff to adhere to the authority's complaints policy.

The council was contacted for comment.