A mother has hit out at the RingGo parking system calling it “not fit for purpose” after she received a penalty ticket despite using the company’s phone line to pay.

Judith Maskell had pre-booked tickets for the Spa Valley Railway as a treat for her son and his friend, who are both disabled, when she parked at Old Coach Park in Tunbridge Wells.

She tried to log into her RingGo app but having recently changed her mobile number, and with poor signal in the car park, in Linden Park Road, she rang the number on the board instead.

Upon phoning, the virtual operator said it recognised her number plate and asked how long she wanted to park.

After stating the last three digits of her payment card the transaction was complete and the funds were deposited from her account. She paid £5.80 for 12 hours parking.

However, when they got back to the car she discovered a parking ticket.

The 68-year-old of Hallford Way, Dartford, said: “I was in a state of shock – I didn’t know what to do.”

She tried to call RingGo to find out why she had been given a fine, but could not get through.

After deciding to appeal, Judith received a letter from Tunbridge Wells council explaining it would not be cancelling the penalty ticket.

In the letter, the council says Judith had made “a mistake with the location details” when paying over the phone.

As a result, the council says she had paid for parking at Westgate Surface Car Park in Dartford, instead of Coach Park in Linden Park Road.

Judith said: "I tried my very best and I paid for parking, but they claimed the issue was because my last place of parking was registered, and not the car park in Tunbridge Wells.

“I paid for parking via telephone to Ringo in good faith - after the registration of the car I was using was recited.

“There is nothing anywhere that stated my last place of parking would be used.

"One automatically innocently assumes that your car is going to be paid for in the car park you are in.”

The penalty notice, which was originally £25 went up to £50 after Judith refused to pay.

She said: "The system is actually not fit for purpose - I'm quite computer savvy, and it even stumped me, and I just feel that it needs to be uncovered.

"The only way you can pay in that car park is by RingGo and I have never had a problem before.”

Now the mother-of two is in dispute with RingGo which says she “opted” for the last place she had parked, a claim she adamantly denies.

"I've never been in trouble before, I'm 62 years old, and I've got a lot going on at the moment, and it's just ridiculous, so I feel like they're bullying me or bullying people to pay.

“This whole situation has added to an enormous amount of stress we are already experiencing.”

There is now a virtual traffic penalty tribunal hearing set for November 7, lodged by the council to take action against Judith.

Tunbridge Wells council declined to comment due to the ongoing appeals process.

RingGo has been contacted for a comment.

If you have faced a similar issue when paying for parking using the RingGo phone line, please get in touch by emailing ehodgson@thekmgroup.co.uk.