You breached the contract and there are now new government regulations allowing private parking enforcement operators to pursue the registered keepers of cars for parking charges. Whether they are legally entitled to do that or not depends on the notice setting out the terms for parking on that particular site. If the notice is legal, you could be sued for payment. If it is illegal, the parking enforcers could be convicted for attempted fraud. If you photograph the notice I can send it to someone to check, but this will take time and may put you out of the limit for the discount. He will also need to see the parking charge notice that you have been sent.

PT later wrote: “I have been able to contact the shop proprietor - almost on bended knee - who was a lady. She seemed quite sympathetic and referred the matter to her husband who was extremely sensible and agreed in the circumstances to waive the fine. They both seemed very nice and reasonable folk who obviously had a lot of trouble from local flat dwellers leaving cars on the small shop front for extended periods. I understood there to be a cancellation fee of £7.50 due from the shop owners to Flashpark which I naturally undertook to cover, plus a little extra to cover their phone calls to the company and myself. A very satisfactory outcome and a great relief.”