A LEYTON woman is outraged after receiving a 'ridiculous' parking fine.

Kirstein Gourlay, 35, of Alpine Road, was caught by a CCTV 'spy car' outside Kwik Fit in Leyton High Road on July 14.

Mrs Gourlay claims she was not straddling the pavement and was still in the car, pulling into the garage's forecourt when she was snapped.

But she was still issued a penalty notice, saying she had been given a £100 fine for parking on a public footpath.

The mother-of-two said: “I asked to see the CCTV footage but the man I spoke to said there was no point.

“I was pulling forward – I was still sitting in the driver's seat.”

Mrs Gourlay added that she was told she would have to seek proof from Kwik Fit and from the council that her car was on a public footpath.

She said: “It's absolutely ridiculous. We laugh at the notion of the Big Brother TV show but it's actually a parody of what's going on in Britain.”

She also said she has the full backing of the Kwik Fit management.

Staff working at the store at the time Mrs Gourlay was caught have confirmed they support her claims and believe she should not have been fined.

Mrs Gourlay said: “On Thursday, I suddenly got a parking ticket. It had two photos, one showing the number plate and one of me in my car where you can clearly see I'm in Kwik Fit's forecourt.”

She now plans to contest the fine.

The news comes as more and more people hit out at the use of CCTV camera cars, following a ruling in which Wirral borough council overturned a fine.

Cllr Bob Belam, cabinet Member for environment, said: “The Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) was issued because CCTV footage showed the vehicle was parked on the footway for some time before proceeding to access the garage.

“PCNs are only issued against people who drive in an illegal and inconsiderate or dangerous fashion. We want to increase public safety on our streets by ensuring drivers know that sub standard and dangerous driving will not be tolerated.”