Frontline care workers battling the coronavirus were hit with three parking charges in as many days - for doing absolutely nothing wrong.
Age UK care worker James Vickers, 27, and his partner Joshua Armstrong, 26, who also works in care, were mistakenly issued with the £70 penalty charge notices (PCNs) for leaving their cars on single yellow lines in Appleton Gate, Newark, near their home.
Each with a recently-introduced parking permit for key workers, they are able to do this as part of a scheme supporting health heroes during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The permits are 'virtual', meaning there is no need to display a pass, and vehicle registrations are designed to be logged using a digital system, marking them as exempt.
However, a technical fault in the system meant a Nottinghamshire County Council warden gave them each a PCN on Thursday (May 7), before Mr Vickers was issued with another on Saturday (May 9), having left his Volkswagen Golf in the same spot over the bank holiday weekend.
Mr Vickers, of Church Walk, said: "It's just obviously really annoying that it's happened again. It's the same warden because it tells you on the ticket - it's ridiculous.
"It's horrible because of when you look at the way it's advertised, the permit, on the website, it's to recognise the work that key workers are doing and the fact they have to use their cars for journeys and work long hours and stuff.
"It's just making me stressed out, to be honest - it's doing the opposite. We're right on the frontline with people - we've got loads of people now who have just come out of hospital who've got coronavirus."
Mr Vickers said his partner, who drives a Peugeot, had driven to work the second time the warden came round which is why Mr Armstrong wasn't given a second PCN.
The couple have appealed all three of the PCNs, which reduce to £35 if paid within 14 days.
Mr Vickers said the permit system needed reviewing, saying: "From what it says on the internet it should be sort of digitally stored somehow, that when they put the number plate in it should flag it up. But it's obviously not happening.
"I don't know if it's happening to anyone else who's got this permit in the area. If it happens again I'll be even more annoyed."
Prior to the three PCNs, the couple had no issue parking in Appleton Gate.
The free permits, launched by the county council in partnership with district and borough authorities across Nottinghamshire, also allow NHS and social care staff to park in limited waiting bays, residential areas and council-owned car parks.
Gareth Johnson, enforcement manager at the county council, said: “We would like to apologise to those affected by recent issues with parking permits.
“Over the weekend, we became aware of a technical issue with the handheld devices used by our civil enforcement officers where registered permits were not fully uploading onto them.
“We would like to reassure our communities that we are in contact with our software supplier to ensure that the issue is resolved urgently.
“Appeals will be responded to in the coming days and will be accepted once the permit system is checked.
“Anyone who receives a penalty charge notice, which they believe has been issued incorrectly, is encouraged to appeal and provide us with the full details using the online form on our website."
