A grandad is angry at fast food giant McDonald’s for handing him a £100 fine for spending too long in one of its car parks – although he actually made two separate trips.

Robert Newton, 59, of Milner Road, Gillingham, popped into the fast-food chain’s restaurant in Bobbing near Sittingbourne on his way to pick up his grandchildren, who live in Sheerness.

Feeling peckish, Mr Newton decided to have a deli chicken wrap.

He said: “I drove though the drive-thru and parked up in the car park to eat it and then drove off and out of the car park about 10 minutes later.

“I then drove to Sheerness to pick up my grandson, Connor, 13, and granddaughter, Ellie, who is 10, as they were staying with my wife Deborah and I for a week during the summer holidays.

“I decided I would pop back into the MacDonald’s on the way back to Gillingham to get them both a Happy Meal.”

After ordering, Mr Newton again parked in the restaurant car park so his grandchildren could eat their meals and left shortly afterwards.

"The system does not work properly and getting a letter telling me I owe £100 is not a laughing matter" - Robert Newton

He added: “A week later I got a letter from the firm which operates McDonald’s car parks which stated that I had overstayed my allowed time in there.

“The letter said I’d been parked up there for 123 minutes – that’s more than two hours.

“It is stupid their cameras can clock me going in for my meal but not going out again but can then clock me going out later with the grandchildren.

“The system does not work properly and getting a letter telling me I owe £100 is not a laughing matter.

“I don’t understand how the camera didn’t see that I had exited the car park and then drove back in later.”

Mr Newton, who is suffers from arthritis, said he intended to appeal.

A McDonald’s spokesperson added: “At a number of our restaurants, parking restrictions are in place to ensure there is adequate parking for all customers.

“Where restrictions are in place, we work with industry-approved contractors to ensure any restrictions are clearly signposted and communicated.

“McDonald’s does not profit from any penalty charges and if a customer feels they have been wrongly ticketed we would encourage them to get in touch with the third party contractor who issued the ticket."