Shoppers have hit out at a retail park after being slapped with parking fines for visiting twice within four hours under controversial new rules.

Several customers have been handed £100 penalties for repeatedly visiting Prospect Way Retail Park in Whitstable for legitimate reasons – with one being fined for driving from one side of the site to the other while his dog was being groomed.

Following a huge backlash, the owner of the park – which features an Aldi, M&S Foodhall, Home Bargains, Halfords and Pets at Home - has confirmed the controversial policy will be axed next month.

“The four hour non-return will be dropped and an admin fee will also be dropped,” said George Wilson, chairman of George Wilson Holdings Ltd.

“It will be dropped in early May. We want to keep everyone happy and the retail shops want everybody to be coming and shopping there and don’t want to be penalised.”

Mr Wilson claims the rules were introduced to stop non-customers from leaving their vehicles there all day.

“We did it in the first place because Whitstable is a busy place and of course if you can park your car and hop on a train into London for the day, that is not what it was meant for.

“It was meant for the shoppers at the retail park.

“We try things and if at the end of the day it does not work out how it should work out, we have to change it.”

Among those to be penalised was Jon Kurta, who was left “irritated” after being fined when he took his dog to the groomers inside Pets at Home at the retail park last month.

“I dropped my dog off at the groomers and wanted to go to M&S to grab a sandwich,” he explained.

“It was raining and I did not fancy walking so I drove over to M&S, then drove back to the other side of the car park to Pets at Home to collect my dog.

“It gets quite windy up there in the winter so if you are disabled you would probably drive to each end of the retail park.

“I was irritated when I received a fine for £100. I appealed it and it has been cancelled but a few days ago, my dog had a two-hour session so I drove back home then collected him later. According to their rules, I should not have done that.

“Luckily I was able to take a screenshot of my bank statement to prove I had spent money in M&S and Pets at Home but I did not really like sending that because it is confidential.”

He added: “If I had paid in cash and not got a receipt, I would have no way to prove I had been to the two stores.”

Tony Sanders from Tankerton was also hit with a £100 charge after leaving his wallet at Aldi at the retail park and returning to pick it up.

“It is ridiculous,” he said.

“By me leaving my wallet behind and wanting to get it back, I got fined. I can appeal it but that is not the point.

“If you leave and want to go back to another store, you can’t unless you change your car.”

“Why should you not be able to go back to the other stores? I think the whole thing is wrong.”

“Say you have just done your shopping for a roast and you come back home and realise you have forgotten gravy, you have got to go out again - but they’re going to charge you a £100 fine. It is totally out of order, I am fuming.

“I think there should be signs in the stores letting customers know about this and warning them not to forget anything.

“I found my wallet, which I was pleased with, but then I was copped with this. I was gobsmacked when I got the fine. It is wrong.”

Meanwhile, nearby resident Sarah Short says she has been put off using the retail park due to the lack of freedom to return if needed.

“They are fining you to go shopping,” she said.

“It has put me off going to the retail park, it is taking away our freedom. If we want to go back we will have to change cars which is ridiculous.

“I used to drop my parents off at the retail park, help them with their shopping, go and pick up my foster child from school, then go and collect my parents but now I would get a fine for this.

“It is a nightmare, and now I am having to think outside of the box which has put more strain on me.”

Couple Kate and Ben, from Whitstable, use the same car and were fined for going to Aldi separately, but on the same day.

“It seems really bizarre that this private parking firm is fining people for using the shops based there,” Kate said.

“Completely legitimately, without thinking about it, my husband popped into Aldi in the morning and then later on in the day, I went there.

“It happened to be within this four-hour time frame. It is a really bizarre rule.

“It seems totally detrimental to the shops to have this rule, and in my case it was two different people who were shopping at two different times but we just happen to share a car. It is lucky I figured out what happened.

“People are being penalised for using the shops. It cannot be in the shops’ interest at all.”

Nicole, from Meopham, also received a penalty after visiting the retail park for the second time in four hours to take her mum shopping.

“I had gone there in the morning and then went back to take my mum shopping as she is not very well at the moment,” she said.

“I think it is not very fair that as a paying customer I got a fine. It is also not fair on local people wanting to use the retail park.

“My mum relies on me to help her. If she wants me to take her to the shops obviously I am going to take her but if you know you have already been there, you are risking getting a £100 fine.

“I think the signs in the car park should be clearer so people know they cannot go again in four hours.”

An Aldi spokesperson told KentOnline: “We are always on hand to help our customers and would encourage them to speak to the store team if they believe a parking fine has been incorrectly issued so we can assist in resolving the issue with our partners who manage the car park.”