A driver says he is locked in a battle with enforcement officers after being slapped with a ticket for parking a Lamborghini on a double yellow line - when he said he hadn't.
The driver, who wished to remain anonymous, says he visited the Trafford Centre in the luxury sports car on Sunday (October 17) for an event in the evening.
He says it was the first time he had ever driven to the huge shopping centre, in Trafford, and as he approached the site road signs promised plenty of parking.
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But as he arrived at the Orient 12 car park, close to the food court, the driver found he was unable to park in a space - so he stopped on the road heading out of the car park.
He told the Manchester Evening News : "The signage driving into the centre suggested there were 3,000 spaces available.
"I headed for there to avoid having to park too close to anyone.
"There were one or two spaces at most available, and motorists rushing to get into them.
"I opted for the safe bet of parallel parking where I received the ticket."
According to the ticket, the driver had broken the rules by parking on double yellow lines.
But he insists he had parked on single yellow lines and that there were no warning of restrictions in place to stop him - with a photograph showing the Lamborghini stopped on a single yellow line.
The driver, who is appealing the ticket, told the M.E.N. that large numbers of spaces were unavailable on Sunday - and the Trafford Centre has confirmed that its Orient car parks 10, 11 and 14 are currently closed.
However, while the Trafford Centre says it cannot comment on individual cases, a spokesperson for the shopping centre said parking enforcement is being used to keep certain areas of the car park clear.
The spokesperson said: “The Trafford Centre has a total of 18 car parks with 15 currently open, offering over 10,000 spaces.
"Even with the closure of Orient car parks 10, 11 and 14, there are plenty of parking spaces available for visitors as well as public transport links.
“We want to provide a safe and accessible environment for all our visitors. This means that certain areas of our car parks, such as pedestrian walkways and emergency exits, need to stay clear at all times. We also need to ensure that accessible bays are kept clear for visitors who require them.
“Due to a small minority of visitors parking in these areas, we have re-introduced our Sensitive Parking initiative to encourage safe and appropriate use of our car parks.
“Any queries need to be directed to Workflow Dynamics on 03444 127 929 or enquiries@workflowdynamic.com.”
