An ex-Wilko worker says she’s being made “physically sick” with stress as a parking company chases her for 15 work parking fines.
Sandie Hickman, who worked for Wilko for 16 years, is being pursued despite there being an agreement in place for Wilko workers to park in the car park run by Vehicle Control Services (VCS).
And now the company has folded Sandie, 57, has been left alone in her battle with the company which is mercilessly chasing her, reports YorkshireLive.
Sandy, who worked at the Selby branch in North Yorkshire, said: “We’d always parked in that car park just fine before, there was an agreement with VCS and Wilko, we were allowed to stay longer than the maximum time so we could do our shifts.
“I’d never had a problem before but I changed my car in February 2022 and gave the new details to my managers like I was supposed to.
“They were meant to give the details to VCS so they could know that we were staff parking there.
“I got the first fine on April 4, it was obviously a shock when it came through but I didn’t know what was going to happen.”
Between April and June 2022, Sandie was issued with a further 14 fines for parking at her workplace, despite having followed the rules from Wilko.
In February this year Sandie was told VCS was taking her to court. Wilko stepped in and paid off the two fines that were being pursued.
In July Sandie received another final demand on the third fine and on September 4, she received a letter warning of court action.
But in August 2023, Wilko entered administration with the final stores closing on October 8, 2023.
Sandie said: “I’d worked there for 16 years overall and then just like that, I’d lost my job and I still had this hanging over me.
“I had the union and HR helping me but when the job went so did all that support.
“I still have 12 fines that I know are out there somewhere, they’re waiting to send to me.
“It makes me feel sick, every time the letters come through or I have to make a phone call about it, I get so agitated.
“It’s made me physically ill, I’m on medication anyway and the stress of the last few months has just made everything worse.
“I just don’t know where to turn, where to go next, how to make it go away.”
Sandie turned to her local MP Keir Mather whose office said he was yet to be able to speak to VCS directly about the matter.
Sandie added: “I just want them to see sense, to have some compassion and think about how this is affecting me.”
A representative from VCS told YorkshireLive: “The Abbey Walk Retail Park Car Park has a maximum stay period of 2 hours which is monitored by ANPR cameras.
“An agreement exists with our client to exempt certain car park users from the maximum stay, on the condition that the vehicle registration mark is provided in line with an agreed process.
“In this instance, no such exemption request was made.
“We are satisfied the Parking Charges were correctly issued and will communicate with Sandie Hickman directly to attempt to resolve matters.”
Express.co.uk has approached VCS for comment.
